Marion County Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Mr. Higgins is a Nashville native. He attended the University of Tennessee where he graduated with honors and returned to home to work with a large insurance defense law firm. About 17 years ago Mr. Higgins left the defense practice and created a firm that only represents injured victims and their families. To better serve his clients the firm is broken down into specific litigation groups, such as the nursing home neglect division and serious injury division.

Mr. Higgins is a member of the million dollar advocates forum, recognized by Best Lawyers and is a board...

Jeffrey W. Rufolo grew up in New Jersey and originally came to Chattanooga in 1983 to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on a wrestling scholarship. He liked the area so much he decided to stay. Since joining Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers, Mr. Rufolo has successfully represented those who have been injured on the job, or injured in car accidents, fall down cases, or other premises liability type cases due to the negligence of others. Recently, Mr. Rufolo successfully overturned an unfavorable decision from the trial court in a wrongful death lawsuit brought against Hamilton County, Tennessee, in which a...

Valerie W. Epstein currently owns her own firm concentrating her practice in the areas of civil litigation, wills and estates, arbitration/mediation and business. She has been a practicing Rule 31 mediator for over 10 years and she has been a commercial arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association for over 15 years (by invitation only). She was awarded a contract with the State of Tennessee to perform Independent External Reviews and she is a neutral for the American Health Lawyers Association. She has had numerous cases in Chancery, Circuit and Sessions court in Hamilton County representing both plaintiffs and defendants. She...

Jerry H. Summers is a lifelong resident of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, Tennessee. Following his graduation from law school, he initially worked for two years as a prosecutor in the Hamilton County District Attorney's Office. Entering private practice in 1969, he became the founding member of what is now Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers. An experienced trial lawyer, Mr. Summers is one of a small number of attorneys who has been included in every yearly volume of "Best Lawyers in America" in both personal injury and criminal law. He is also only one of approximately five attorneys in the State of...

Andy Peters Davis attended law school in San Diego, California, where he graduated from California Western School of Law and returned back to his hometown to join the law firm. Andy Davis was born in Winchester, Tennessee. His education and work experience took him to all corners of the world before returning to work in Tennessee.

After becoming licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Andy Davis joined the law firm and was thrown into the fire in his first year. Andy Davis demonstrated an acute ability to adapt and learn the local laws and continues to strive in the practice of...

Matthew Harris is managing partner and trial counsel with The Harris Firm, P.C. in Manchester, Tennessee.   He practices on behalf of individuals and corporate entities in all state and federal courts in Tennessee and Mississippi.  He has personally tried personal injury matters including premises liability claims (i.e., "slip-and-fall" cases), motor vehicle accidents, as well as medical and dental malpractice lawsuits to verdict on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.  Mr. Harris earned a B.S. in Political Science from Austin Peay State University in 2008 and a J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law in 2011.   The Harris Firm, P.C. represents litigants...

Jimmy W. Bilbo has been a practicing attorney in Cleveland, Tennessee since 1985. He is a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist by the TN Commission on CLE and Specialization. He is Dual Board Certified as a Trial Specialist and in Civil Pretrial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a former president of the Tennessee Association for Justice.

John A. Day is the founding partner of The Law Offices of John Day, P.C., located in the Nashville, Tennessee, area. John graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1981. He is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist and has more than 30 years’ experience trying cases. John has served as President of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association and Chair of the Council of State Presidents of the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America). John has also served on the boards of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, Lawyers...

Brandon Bass is a shareholder at The Law Offices of John Day, P.C., located in Nashville, Tennessee, where he’s been practicing law since he graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2002. Brandon is active in several legal organizations, including: the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association Executive Committee, Board of Governors, Amicus Curiae Committee Chair, and Mentor; the American Association for Justice on their New Lawyers Division Board of Governors; the Tennessee Bar Association’s Leadership Law; and the Nashville Bar Foundation as a Fellow and Mentor.

Brandon has received many accolades throughout his career. He has been named in...

Michael K. Pence is a founder of the Law Offices of Thornton & Pence in Nashville, Tennessee. Michael is a devoted personal injury lawyer who provides legal representation to individuals and families that have been harmed by the negligent and careless actions of others. Michael worked as a law clerk for 3 years before becoming an attorney, handling exclusively Personal Injury, Wrongful Death and Workers Compensation claims and Criminal Litigation. Michael has recovered millions of dollars for his clients and their families. Michael’s work doesn’t stop there, he has also successfully overturned two decisions at the Tennessee...

Winning is what matters! Brian has 20+ years of litigation experience successfully handling and trying medical malpractice and personal injury cases. He has obtained over $26,000,000.00 for his clients in just the past few years, which earned him a lifetime membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Less than 1% of attorneys are lifetime members of the Forum. He only takes on select cases so that he can personally handle every aspect of that client's important case. Other firms pass clients and cases off to junior attorneys who the client never would have selected. Brian never does that. Brian's dedication...

Having been born and raised in Athens, Tennessee, Josh’s small-town conservative values have been motivation in achieving his goals of being an attorney and being a zealous advocate for individual’s rights. Josh attended McMinn County High School where he played football and baseball and graduated in 1990. In 1995, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Middle Tennessee State University. While attending college, he served as President of the MTSU chapter of Sigma Chi and is still an active member of the organization’s alumni association. After graduation, Josh attended Nashville School of Law while working full-time for the...

Justin completed his undergraduate education at the University of Mississippi, where he ended up graduating with honors and earning a Bachelor of Science Degree. After undergrad, he decided to further his education at Western Michigan University’s Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where he also graduated with honors and earned his Juris Doctorate. During his career at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School he received several awards, including: the Criminal Law Best Essay/Book Award Recipient, Civil Procedure Best Essay/Book Award Recipient, Taxation Best Essay/Book Award Recipient, Pre-Trial Skills Book Award Recipient and Trial Skills Book Award Recipient. Each of...

Laura Baker is a shareholder at The Law Offices of John Day, P.C., where she represents clients in personal injury, wrongful death, and tort litigation cases. Laura's reputation and experience have earned her several accolades. Most recently, Laura was awarded the "Rising Star Award" by the Lawyers' Association for Women in 2016. She was also recognized as an Athena Young Professional Award Nominee in 2016. In 2015, Laura was a winner of the Nashville Business Journal's “40 Under 40” award. Laura has been recognized as one of the “Best of the Bar” by the Nashville Business Journal in 2015 and...

Cathy spent the early years of her life growing up on a farm in the Midwest. Following high school, she attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before attending Indiana University at South Bend. Cathy graduated from Indiana University at South Bend with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Administration. After graduation, she worked for several years for a consulting firm before deciding to attend law school. Cathy received her law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

Cathy worked for several firms, and for the State of Tennessee’s Department of Human Services, before joining Hughes & Coleman in 2006....

E. Michael Brezina, III’s career includes more than fifteen years of litigation experience in the private and public sectors, including extensive and diverse trial experience. Michael graduated Summa Cum Laude in three years from the University of Tennessee (“UT”) in Knoxville, where he was selected Phi Beta Kappa. He was also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. In 2004, he graduated Cum Laude from UT College of Law. He was a partner for many years at one of the region’s oldest and largest law firms, starting his practice there after graduating from law school in 2004. During his 15-year tenure...

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Political Science, she went on to earn a Master of Science degree in education and a Master of Science degree in History from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She then went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from Nashville School of Law. Her family’s military background, including her grandfather (a WWII veteran) and father (a Vietnam veteran) instilled in her a sense of duty and started her personal journey. Theresa began her personal journey advocating for her father as he fought for veteran’s benefits while overcoming his war-related injuries. Through this process, she developed...

Mr. Smith has been a trial attorney for 40 years and was a professor of law at Vanderbilt Law School. For the past twenty years, he has represented individuals in plaintiff's personal injury litigation. He is the founder of DRS Law, a top-rated personal injury law firm in Nashville, Tennessee. DRS Law has grown into a five-lawyer team that includes his three sons. EXPERIENCE Mr. Smith has been recognized by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America in Personal Injury Litigation and as one of the Best Lawyers in Tennessee. The Business Tennessee Best Lawyers List described Mr....

Eric was born and raised in Ohio and resided there while attending undergraduate and law school. Following law school, Eric moved to Kentucky and began practicing in a small office. Eric soon moved to a larger city and began narrowing his practice to personal injury. He has successfully represented plaintiffs throughout Kentucky and Tennessee for the last 22 years. For Eric, the legal profession continually challenges him to perform at his best while granting him the ability to serve others. In 2017, he was selected by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys as part of the 10 Best Attorneys for...

Joy Day is one of only fourteen female lawyers in the State of Tennessee who is certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification and serves as a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator. With more than 150 days of trial to her credit, Joy has significant trial experience in high-exposure, complex cases and is more than comfortable in the courtroom.

Joy has a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating, the highest rating possible, since 2004, and she has been named a Mid-South Super Lawyer every year since 2009. Joy is licensed in state...

After receiving his Juris Doctorate, Daniel began his career in general practice, helping clients in a variety of areas ranging from business and family law to criminal defense and personal injury in circuit courts and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. During this time, he also served as a Special Assistant to the Corporate Counsel of Walworth County, Wisconsin, and handled Child/Juvenile in Need of Protection or Services, as well as guardianships, protective placements, chapter 51, and zoning matters. In 2012, Daniel was elected to the position of District Attorney in Walworth County, Wisconsin. At the time, he was the youngest...

Evan graduated from University of Tennessee Knoxville with degrees in political science and history. His legal career began at Belmont University College of Law, where he served as the Vice President of the Health Law Society and graduated with a health law certificate in addition to his law degree. During his last 2 years at Belmont, he served as a law clerk at a Nashville land use firm. After passing the Bar in 2018, his family moved to Chattanooga, where he worked for an insurance defense firm representing insurance companies in slip and fall, car accident, and workers’ compensation claims. After...

Scott grew up on a family farm just outside of Sparta, Kentucky. Since 1995, Scott has successfully represented injured clients in matters involving wrongful death, brain injury, dismemberment and disfigurement. Scott has successfully represented injured clients in civil actions against corporate giants such as Ford Motor Company, Firestone Tire, Kubota Tractor and Rifle Coal Company. Scott attended high school in Owen County, Kentucky. Following high school, he pursued his undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky and graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of the Arts in English. In his pursuit to follow his dreams, Scott received...

Jonaka grew up knowing she wanted a career of service to others. Inspired by that motivation, she loves the satisfaction she hears from clients when her conversation and work has made a difference in their day, especially those who are experiencing a very dark time in their lives. Jonaka White Hall focuses her practice on a variety of types of personal injury cases. Originally from Cromwell, Kentucky, Jonaka earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from Western Kentucky University. Following her undergraduate career, Jonaka earned her Juris Doctor from Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Prior to joining...

Matt grew up in Goodlettsville the son of a lawyer and grandson of a school principal who then re-invented herself as a lawyer in retirement, so it was pretty inevitable that Matt would also end up a lawyer. Predictably enough, he also has a younger brother who is ALSO a lawyer. Matt graduated from Tennessee Tech cum laude with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a minor in math. After working as an engineer with a global HVAC company, Matt realized engineering wasn’t his passion. He then went on to graduate magna cum laude from the University of...

Focused on building practical skills to assist his future career, C.J. spent the majority of his law school career working in litigation. C.J. gained experience as a law clerk working for a prominent family law firm in Memphis. Through this law firm, he was able to learn through court room trials, hearings, and deposition observations. He was also able to work on high profile cases such as one involving the legitimacy of marriages conducted by ministers who were ordained through online churches. On top of being a law clerk, C.J. served as a student attorney at the same time in the...

After completing a six-year tour of duty as a Navy Corpsman (medic) assigned to a Marine Corps infantry battalion, Jason went to nursing school. He then enjoyed a 12-year career as a Registered Nurse (RN), where he worked in many different areas including emergency departments, intensive care units, renal dialysis centers, and post-anesthesia care units. He finished his nursing career serving as a charge nurse on a spinal cord injury unit. While working in healthcare, Jason witnessed first-hand the many ways in which negligence can lead to serious, sometimes fatal injuries. Unfortunately, the negligence of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers...

Shannon received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, where she majored in business and specialized in communication studies. This specialization in communication studies laid the groundwork for her to effectively advocate on behalf of her clients. After completing her undergraduate degree, Shannon earned a scholarship to attend Florida State University College of Law, a Top 50 law school in the country. There, she furthered her trial advocacy skills as a member of its prestigious mock trial team. All the while, she received recognition for making the Dean’s List. Shannon began her legal career in Central Florida in 2012. Her...

Ben primarily handles business disputes, product liability, nursing home neglect/abuse, medical malpractice, and complex personal injury cases. He spent the first eight years of his career with a firm which defended insurance companies and those they insured, but he now represents individuals and businesses who have been harmed by others. This experience often comes in handy through the course of his cases. Mr. Miller obtained his B.A. from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, NC. During law school, he met his wife and fellow attorney, Elizabeth. Additionally, he enjoys...

Carly is an attorney in The Higgins Firm's Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Division. Carly began her career working with a large Florida based nursing home defense firm where she defended long-term care facilities against negligence and wrongful death claims. She continued this carrier path after moving to Nashville with her husband. Fortunately, we were able to convince her to come over to the good side where she now only represents families who were victims of bad nursing home practices.

Carly earned her law degree, cum laude, from the University of Florida and graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in...

Ray Berk began practicing as a trial lawyer in 1977 upon graduating with Honors from The University of Texas School of Law. He soon left that firm to work with Mike Pohl at a start-up boutique litigation firm. He has successfully represented clients in many practice areas such as medical malpractice, 18 wheeler accidents, vehicle rollovers, and defective products. Ray focuses on representing individuals who have suffered serious injury because of the negligence of others. In addition to representing individuals in the United States, he is also currently advising clients in Lichtenstein and Pakistan. Ray is a member of many...

Michael A. Pohl is a personal injury lawyer with over 35 years of trial experience. He devotes his practice to represent people who have suffered serious injuries. He also has extensive experience in representing vehicle rollover accident victims. Michael has represented clients throughout the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. He received his J.D. from the University of Houston and is admitted to practice law in both Colorado and Texas.