The Firm has considerable experience in defending clients, insured and self-funded, in a broad variety of personal injury, mass tort, and products liability litigation, ranging from single-plaintiff cases to complex class actions. Representative cases include defending the manufacturers of welding consumables in the national welding fume litigation, manufacturers in asbestos litigation, manufacturers in silica litigation, manufacturers of pharmaceutical products in suits filed by numerous plaintiffs, poultry processors in toxic exposure lawsuits brought by thousands of plaintiffs, product manufacturers sued for injuries resulting from catastrophic explosions, and industrial concerns and chemical manufacturers sued by numerous plaintiffs alleging exposure injuries. Firm members consistently have been ranked by their peers as leading lawyers in these categories of cases. Several current members of the Firm are Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers and members of the American Board of Trial Advocates, where one serves on the national board of directors of the organization. Several of the Firm attorneys are listed in Best Lawyers® in America in personal injury and mass tort litigation and two in the category of Bet-the-Company litigation, including recognition as the Best Lawyers® of the Year in Mississippi. In addition, our attorneys have been recognized by Chambers USA and Mid-South Super Lawyers®. In addition, the Firm was selected as the 2011 Mississippi Leading Litigation Firm of the Year by Corporate INTL Global. The Firm’s liability defense practice includes the following specialties:
Personal Injury – The Firm’s litigators regularly defend personal injury cases on behalf of self-insured and insured clients. The Firm’s personal injury defense practice ranges from defending single plaintiff claims arising from motor vehicle accidents to claims involving numerous plaintiffs resulting from fires and explosions.
Mass Torts – Many of the Firm’s litigators regularly handle the defense of mass tort litigation. In recent years the Firm has represented clients in lawsuits involving asbestos, silica, tobacco, welding products, breast implants and other medical devices, and allegations of hearing loss. The Firm also has broad experience in defense of multi-plaintiff claims and class actions alleging harm stemming from chemical spills and releases. With its experienced staff of legal assistants and litigation support software, the Firm is well-equipped to handle the voluminous documents that are often a key component in complex mass tort litigation.
Products Liability – A number of the Firm’s attorneys actively engage in product liability defense for a broad array of clients. The Firm represents manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, automobiles, turbines, electrical appliances, welding products, transmission equipment, tobacco products, medical devices, fertilizer, and asbestos and silica products. The Firm is actively engaged in defending products liability claims in all state and federal courts in Mississippi and in other courts throughout the United States, including multi-district courts.
Medical Malpractice and Nursing Home Liability – The Firm has significant experience in the defense of medical malpractice claims. The Firm is regularly engaged to represent the interests of both physicians, and hospitals in courts throughout Mississippi. Additionally, a number of the Firm’s litigators have significant experience in the defense of lawsuits filed by or on behalf of nursing home residents alleging inadequate care.
Premises Liability – The Firm’s trial lawyers have successfully defended hundreds of claims involving allegations against premises owners. These include claims stemming from criminal conduct committed by third parties against business invitees of the Firm’s clients.