Mr. James Charles Wright

Mr. Wright was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He attended Middle Tennessee State University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1977); the University of Tennessee (J.D., 1980). He was honored with the Order of the Coif and served on the Tennessee Law Review. Mr. Wright's father was a lawyer so he grew up working in his Dad's office. He is admitted to the United Supreme Court Bar as well as all Tennessee State and Federal Courts. He is also admitted before the Sixth Circuit and Fourth Circuit Bar as well as the U.S. Court of Claims. His practice is varied covering a broad spectrum of matters. Author credits include: Tennessee Current Legal Summaries. Co-Author: Avoiding Environmental Liability in Tennessee; Hazardous Waste in Tennessee. Mr. Wright was the Distinguished Alumni Speaker - University of Tennessee College of Law 2008 Commencement. He has been selected as a Mid-South Super Lawyer and has been selected and listed in a listing of Knoxville's best attorneys. He is AV rated and has been selected as one of the 10 best attorney's in Tennessee in client satisfaction. He has also been selected as one of the top 1% of lawyers in America by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. The firm as a whole has been noted as a U.S. News Best Law Firms in America and as a top law firm in Fortune Magazine. Mr. Wright is a past Chair of the Tennessee Bar Association Tort and Insurance Practice Section. He has been on the Executive Committee of the Tennessee Bar Association Section on Environmental Law since the founding of the Section and is a past Chair of the Section. He is the Co-Chair of the Knoxville Bar Association Environmental Law Section. Mr. Wright served as lead State Chair for Tennessee for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance and as an Education Committee Chair. Mr. Wright is a member of the American Inns of Court - Hamilton Burnett Chapter.

Personal Injury

Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death

Business Law

Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes

Appeals & Appellate

Civil Appeals, Federal Appeals

Construction Law

Construction Contracts, Construction Defects, Construction Liens, Construction Litigation

Environmental Law

Insurance Defense

• General Civil

• Free Consultation
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Contingent Fees
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Fee arrangements are negotiable with the client to meet the client's needs. Work can be done on an hourly basis, by the project or task or on a contingent fee or cost savings basis.

Tennessee

6th Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court

Partner

Butler, Vines and Babb

1980 - Current

University of Tennessee - Knoxville

J.D.

1978 - 1980

Honors: Order of the Coif Graduate

University of Tennessee - Knoxville

J.D.

1977 - 1980

Honors: Order of the Coif Graduate

Best Lawyers in America listing

U.S. News and World Reports

2017

AV Rating

Martindale Hubbell

2017

The AV rating is the highest rating awarded. This based upon reviews by lawyers and judges.

Top 1% of Lawyers in America

The National Association of Distinguished Counsel

2015

Top 1% of Lawyers in America

American Institute of Legal Counsel

2014

Mid-South Super Lawyer

Super Lawyers

Claims and Litigation Management Alliance

Member

2007 - Current

Activities: Mr. Wright has served: Education Committee and as a State Chair. Mr.Wright also has a CLMP designation from CLM. He has spoken at the annual conference.

Tennessee State Bar  # 009285

Member

1981 - Current

Activities: Mr. Wright has was a founding member of the Environmental Law Section. He has also served as The Chair of the Section Mr. Wright has also chaired the Section on Torts and Insurance Practice.

Tennessee Current Legal Summaries

Butler, Vines and Babb

1987

Ethics Update, Show of the South, Chattanooga

May 18, 2017

TBA

Moderated a three hour ethics update.

CLMP

Claims and Litigation Management Alliance

Q. Signed contract to sell house.

September 14, 2023

A: I am so sorry for your loss, and you are in my prayers- I have not lost a spouse- so I cannot appreciate fully your loss.

As to your question- you have done well not to post on the internet a lot of details - but at the same time without more details, it is hard to give much help. The answer based upon what you have provided so far is -unfortunately - it depends. Someone will need to review the contract and the circumstances. Depending on the terms and conditions you may have a way "out."

Q. What family members have right to sue for wrongful death in Tennessee?

July 10, 2023

A: I am very sorry for your loss. The statutory answer is in the below statute. I would suggest creating an estate and having the personal representative file any action. Beyond this Tennessee has a one-year statute of limitations. So be careful and don't let the time run on a claim.

20-5-106. Injury resulting in death — Succession to cause of action — Beneficiaries.

(a) The right of action that a person who dies from injuries received from another, or whose death is caused by the wrongful act, omission, or killing by another, would have had against the wrongdoer, in case death had not ensued, shall not abate or be extinguished by the person's death but shall pass to the person's surviving spouse and, in case there is no surviving spouse, to the person's children or next of kin; to the person's personal representative, for the benefit of the person's surviving spouse or next of kin; to the person's natural parents or parent or next of kin if at the time of death decedent was in the custody of the natural parents or parent and had not been legally surrendered or abandoned by them pursuant to any court order removing such person from the custody of such parents or parent; or otherwise to the person's legally adoptive parents or parent, or to the administrator for the use and benefit of the adoptive parents or parent; the funds recovered in either case to be free from the claims of creditors.

(b) In any case involving a beneficiary who is a minor or who is legally incompetent, if the court finds it is in the best interest of the beneficiary, the court in its discretion may authorize all or any portion of the funds recovered for the beneficiary to be added to any trust or trusts established for the benefit of the beneficiary, wherever situated, whether the trust was created by the person whose death was caused by the wrongful action or omission or by any other person. The funds recovered shall be for the benefit of the beneficiary and shall be free from the claims of creditors.

(c)

(1) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the right to institute and the right to collect any proceeds from a wrongful death action granted by this section to a surviving spouse shall be waived, if the children or next of kin establish the surviving spouse has abandoned the deceased spouse as described in § 36-4-101(a)(13) or otherwise willfully withdrawn for a period of two (2) years.

(2) If the period of two (2) years has passed since the time of abandonment or willful withdrawal, then there is created a rebuttable presumption that the surviving spouse abandoned the deceased spouse for purposes of this section.

(3) In an action under this section, the child or next of kin shall serve the surviving spouse with process as provided in the rules of civil procedure or by constructive service as may otherwise be provided by law.

(d) As used in this section, the word “person” includes an unborn child at any stage of gestation in utero. ... Read More

Q. HOA - CCRs “No Lot shall be used except for residential purposes and except for those uses permitted to the Declarant”

June 27, 2023

A: You should 1) check in your neighborhood - are there other long-term rentals? Is there a homeowner's association - confirm with them that they do not object to long term rentals and that there is not an amendment or change to the master documents.

Generally, this provision would exclude commercial use- including short term rentals. A long-term lease rental is would generally be thought of as a residential use. BUT -

you should have speak to a lawyer in regard to this to confirm.