Find Lawyers in Georgia, United States for Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Practice Area Overview
It is important for a defendant not to ignore the deadline to answer the complaint, because doing so can lead a court to decide in favor of the plaintiff and award money damages. Many times, a defendant will have insurance that covers any allegations being made in a complaint. For example, if you are being sued for an auto accident, you probably have car insurance. If someone was injured on your property, you probably have homeowner’s insurance. If you believe you have insurance for the claims being made against you, immediately contact your insurance agent to report the claim and to provide information about the complaint. Failing to do this could result in an insurance company refusing to pay for any money damages awarded in the lawsuit. If you do not have insurance for the claims being made against you, it is important to contact an attorney so that they can protect your interests in court.
When you are a defendant in a civil lawsuit (a matter not involving a crime) you need to consult with a civil defense attorney who specializes in litigation (i.e., matters pending in court). Civil defense attorneys tend to specialize in a specific area. Some examples include: auto claims, homeowner claims, business/contract claims, property disputes, etc. Before hiring a lawyer, you should determine if a particular lawyer has experience in the subject matter relevant to the complaint. If you have insurance that covers a specific claim, your insurance company will typically hire and pay the lawyer for you.
Jennifer Adair is a Partner in Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP Atlanta office, Vice-Chair of the firm's Tort and Catastrophic Loss national practice section, and Chair of the firm's Southeast Tort practice team. Jennifer has extensive experience representing commercial motor carrier, their drivers, and their insurers in trucking lawsuits throughout Georgia. As a member of FMG’s construction section, Jennifer defends design professionals, owners and contractors in design and construction ...
Brannon’s practice focuses on civil litigation with an emphasis on product liability, catastrophic injury and professional liability. Admitted to practice in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina, Brannon has represented a broad range of clients in cases involving serious injury and wrongful death across the country. Her clients include manufacturers and sellers of heavy equipment, component parts, consumer products, medical devices and automotive equipment, as well as trucking companies...
Marc Barré draws on 36 years of legal experience as he defends clients in matters involving automobile litigation, premises liability, extracontractual insurance issues, insurance coverage, construction litigation and business owners’ liability issues. He has resolved thousands of cases through the years, including at trial, from small matters to those alleging tens of millions of dollars in damages. His clients include large retailers, insurance carriers, restaurant chains, cons...
A native of Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, Ms. Boone practices in all areas of professional negligence and medical malpractice defense, as well as premises liability, probate, estate planning and administration, fiduciary law, and general civil litigation. She is licensed in both Georgia and Tennessee and practices actively in both states. In addition to professional and medical malpractice lawsuits, Ms. Boone has served as counsel in various civil litigation matters ranging from automobile acci...
Chris Byrd's practice focuses on civil litigation, representing clients in both state and federal courts in claims of wrongful death, product liability, premises liability, breach of contract, mass and complex torts, and construction law. Chris has represented clients in more than 10 states throughout the country.
William “Bill” T. Casey, Jr., is a Swift Currie partner with over 35 years of experience defending serious injury cases. He primarily works with large insurance companies and national retailers — many of which he has nurtured long-term relationships spanning decades — on claims related to premises liability, construction defect, transportation and automobile accidents and products liability. Bill has tried more than 100 cases to verdict, many of which involved wrongful...
Lori G. Cohen has a national litigation practice focusing on product liability litigation and specifically, medical device and pharmaceutical litigation. Lori is National Counsel for a medical device manufacturer, handling its litigation including class actions, multidistrict litigation, and trials nationally. She has served as both National Counsel and Regional Counsel for pharmaceutical and medical device companies and has expertise in mass tort, multidistrict and class action litigation. S...
Professional Involvement Chloe Dallaire represents clients in catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death cases. Chloe works extensively with injury and death cases involving auto accidents, bus accidents, truck collisions and other catastrophic injury and death cases. Prior to joining the Hornsby Law Group, Chloe was a partner at one of Atlanta's most prestigious defense firms and spent 15 years developing a national personal injury and medical malpractice trial prac...
Dave Dial leads the firm's nationally recognized Construction Litigation Practice and is the counsel of choice among major players in the construction industry including owners, sureties, architects/engineers, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. In addition to significant depth in the construction industry, Dave has amassed extensive experience from his 30 years as lead trial counsel in complex cases. Advocating for clients in the most challenging of state and federal courts an...
Jackson “Jad” Dial represents a multitude of clients in high exposure, catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases throughout Georgia and the United States. Jad has obtained many successful results for his clients both at trial and during pre-trial proceedings. When he is not representing clients, Jad enjoys spending time with his wife Katie and their five children.
Jim Durham is a Partner in the HBS Brunswick office. Mr. Durham is a Past President of the State Bar of Georgia and a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Throughout his career, Mr. Durham has been involved in complex civil litigation including commercial litigation, construction litigation, industrial accidents, products liability defense, professional negligence, medical malpractice defense, shareholder derivative actions, and mining law and mineral resource litigation. He was i...
Lindsay Ferguson's practice focuses on civil litigation with emphasis on transportation litigation, product liability and premises liability. She has assisted in litigating and resolving cases involving serious injury and wrongful death in Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Wendell Franklin’s practice primarily focuses on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis on catastrophic injury, premises liability, and business litigation defense. An Atlanta native, Wendell displayed his strong sense of honor and duty to our Nation through his service as an Intelligence Analyst in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. He completed his undergraduate studies at Morehouse College, earned his Juris Doctorate from the Georgia State University College of Law, and a Master of ...
With a broad and winning first-chair litigation practice, Jonathan (“Johnny”) Friedman serves as national counsel, regional counsel, and trial counsel for companies in the automotive, consumer products, industrial, hospitality, and transportation industries. A recipient of ALM Law.Com's "Legal Innovator" Award in 2023, Johnny is a problem-solver, managing large volume dockets and high-value matters with data analytics, deep thinking, and strong “soft skills.” He uses l...
John E. Hall, Jr. is one of the founding partners of Hall Booth Smith, and he is dedicated to making it the finest litigation firm in the Southeast. John specializes in the defense of high exposure cases, including medical malpractice, batch claims, construction, commercial litigation, mass torts, transportation, and products liability. During his legal career, he has tried more than 125 cases to resolution. His expertise in high exposure birth trauma and catastrophic cases resulted in his be...
Jack Hawkins' practice focuses on civil litigation. He represents product manufacturers, business owners, builders and other entities in cases involving product liability, premises liability, construction, general liability and commercial litigation in trial courts, appellate courts and arbitration tribunals throughout the country.
Rick Hill’s civil litigation practice focuses on catastrophic injury, product liability, premises liability, common carrier liability, aviation law and transportation related litigation. Rick has litigated and resolved cases involving serious injury and wrongful death in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
From his decade of experience in handling catastrophic injury cases, Alan Holcomb knows that major corporations and insurance companies will never pay the injured fair compensation unless forced to do so by the legal system. It is this philosophy that drives Alan to fight aggressively for his clients every day. “Our clients, and what they have been through, are so much more than the amount of medical bills or the diagnosis given to them by a doctor,” Alan says. “You have to ...
Johnny Krawcheck leads Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial’s Medical Device and Pharmaceutical Practice Group. He has served as national defense and national coordinating counsel for major manufacturers embroiled in mass torts or subjected to repeat claims, and counsels excess insurers regarding this rapidly evolving industry. Johnny also frequently defends various product manufacturers and transportation companies in litigation throughout the country. Johnny is a Managing Co-Direc...
Joyce Gist Lewis is a skilled and tenacious advocate for private companies and governmental entities in and out of the courtroom. Joyce’s two decades of experience includes serving as lead counsel for claims involving professional liability, director and officer liability, business divorce, real estate litigation, employment discrimination defense, and catastrophic injury defense. Her appellate experience includes arguing cases before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and successful...
A Nashville, Georgia native, Mr. Lovein practices in the areas of workers’ comp defense, premise liability, medical malpractice, real estate, school law, and local government law. Mr. Lovein presented an argument to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Castro v. United States on October 15, 2003.
C. Bradford Marsh focuses on the defense of catastrophic injury, property damage and commercial cases. His practice is diverse and includes products, premises, professional malpractice and general liability cases. Brad represents automobile, electrical and heavy equipment product manufacturers, along with individual and corporate clients in Georgia and across the United States. Brad is equipped to handle every conceivable matter that his clients have based on over three decades of litigation ...
Shubhra Mashelkar’s practice focuses on civil litigation with emphasis on product liability, environmental and toxic tort, professional liability and catastrophic injury. She has litigated and resolved cases involving serious injury and wrongful death in Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan and Mississippi. Shubhra serves as regional trial counsel for a manufacturer of products containing asbestos.
Wayne Melnick is a Partner and Vice-Chair of the firm’s Government Law practice section. He also is a member of the firm’s Tort and Catastrophic Loss practice section where he is Vice-Chair of FMG’s Transportation practice team. Mr. Melnick is an accomplished trial attorney and has tried over 50 jury trials to verdict in cases throughout the country. For every year since 2013, Mr. Melnick has been named a "Georgia Super Lawyer" in the areas of civil law defense and prior to ...
Joseph P. Menello is a partner in Wicker Smith’s Atlanta office. Mr. Menello’s civil trial practice has focused primarily on the defense of professional and corporate institutions, as well as individuals. He has defended cases involving medical malpractice, premises liability, automobile liability, general civil litigation and professional negligence, covering a wide range of complex legal and medical issues. Mr. Menello is an active member of both the Georgia and Florida Bar Asso...
Carol Michel defends clients nationally in high-stakes and catastrophic litigation in State and Federal Courts. Her trials run the gamut from major personal injury and premises liability cases, to aviation crashes and medical malpractice. Carol is considered the "go-to" attorney by clients in emergency situations requiring immediate advice and counsel to protect their interests. In addition, Healthcare and Aviation are two specific areas in which Carol has developed significant experience and...
Rick Sager's civil litigation practice focuses on catastrophic injury, transportation-related litigation, product liability, road construction litigation, class action, premises liability, and skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Clients entrust him with their high-exposure cases throughout the United States. Rick was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America© as “Lawyer of the Year” in Personal Injury Litigation (Defendants) for 2023, the sole winner of this award...
Mr. Sampson is the Managing Partner of Thomas, Kennedy, Sampson, & Tompkins LLP, Georgia’s oldest minority-owned law firm. Sampson graduated from Morehouse College and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the UNC at Chapel Hill. Throughout his distinguished career, Sampson has often been tapped to serve government, the Bar and the community. Former Governor Roy Barnes appointed him Vice Chairman on the State Judicial Nominating Commission. He has served as President of the Gate City Bar Asso...
Sonja Tate has been shepherding her clients through the litigation process for nearly 25 years. Understanding that the most nerve-wracking part of litigation is not knowing what to expect, Sonja works to ensure that her clients, whether they be individuals, families or businesses, understand the process, the possibilities, and what to expect, giving them a better sense of control. An advocate for alternative dispute resolution, she became a certified mediator in 2018. Sonja grew up in Fort Mi...
Tommy practices in the area of general civil litigation with an emphasis on professional liability cases, class actions and business and commercial disputes. As a name partner in Tucker Long, Tommy Tucker has been with the firm since 1974 and brings impressive legal credentials to the firm. An active trial lawyer since 1974, Thomas Tucker was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1991. He has been listed in the “Best Lawyers in America” since 1995 and ha...
Ashley C. Webber is a partner in the firm’s civil litigation section. Ashley has a diverse practice that includes products liability, premises liability, professional malpractice, environmental liability, automobile/trucking litigation and mass tort defense. She has significant experience in litigating catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases in both state and federal courts and has handled several matters at the appellate level. Ashley defends some of the world’s largest heav...
Josh Wood advocates for clients in high-stakes, high-exposure cases in state and federal courts across the United States. In addition, he serves as General Counsel for the firm. Josh has garnered a reputation among his clients and his peers for working tirelessly to obtain the best possible results for his clients. Josh’s broad range trial practice has afforded him the opportunity to represent both corporations and individuals in cases involving wrongful death, catastrophic injury, mass...
Arnold Young is a partner in the Savannah office and has a general trial practice . Arnold has experience in major defense cases involving products liability, medical malpractice, pharmaceuticals, and truck and crane casualties. He also has extensive experience in insurance law. Arnold is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia and a former lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He is general counsel to HunterMaclean. Arnold is admitted t...
Lucy focuses her practice on commercial litigation and coverage matters and has experience representing corporate clients and national insurers engaged in the hospitality, construction, transportation, and retail industries. She has experience managing all stages of complex litigation matters, including class actions, and has represented corporations, retailers, business operators, and insurance companies against various personal injury, property, and contract claims. Lucy also has experience...
Laura concentrates her practice in the healthcare industry, regularly representing providers including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and sub-acute facilities in all phases of litigation related to both general and professional liability claims. She also maintains a regulatory practice, advising providers on regulatory compliance, assisting with internal investigations, self-reporting requirements, risk management, policy development and legislative interpre...
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