Settlements and Verdicts
Personal Injury
$6 million
A 35-year-old man suffered permanent injuries when he fell from a defective scissor lift.
$2.6 million
An adult suffered permanent heart-valve damage from a defective anti-obesity drug.
$2 million
A contaminated dietary supplement caused a rare disorder that affects multiple organ systems of the body including the muscles, skin, and lungs.
$2 million
Landowners recovered $2 million when a power plant in Paducah, Kentucky contaminated their properties with radioactive particles.
$1 million
Two minor children were exposed to unsafe levels of lead because of industrial site contamination in Tennessee. The lead poisoning caused permanent brain damage.
$1 million
A 23-year-old man fell from a house in Kentucky and suffered serious physical injuries.
$900,000
Domestic violence / sexual assault.
$650,000
A woman underwent multiple surgeries and sustained permanent injuries from defective vaginal mesh.
$450,000
Sexual abuse of a minor.
Medical Malpractice
$10.7 million
A man died suddenly after returning home from ER where he was never seen by a physician despite showing red flags for possible heart attack.
$2 million
A pathologist’s misdiagnosis of a benign tumor as cancer resulted in an unnecessary amputation of a minor’s leg.
$1.9 million
A 66-year-old man developed late stage lung cancer when a Tennessee cardiologist failed to follow-up on an abnormal x-ray.
$775,000
An emergency department in Tennessee failed to communicate a blood infection to the patient, resulting in endocarditis and heart valve replacement surgery.
$600,000
A neurosurgeon failed to treat a dural tear, resulting in arachnoiditis.
$550,000
A man sustained a catastrophic spinal cord injury when a physical therapist failed to follow surgeon’s orders.
$525,000
A newborn died from enterovirus when an OB/GYN mistreated the mother’s pre-delivery virus.
$500,000
A 56-year-old woman suffered necrotizing fasciitis and septic shock when an OB/GYN failed to prescribe the appropriate antibiotic for an infection.
Civil Rights
$2.4 million
ADRS Law sued the University of Tennessee for violations of Title IX laws, which protect students from gender discrimination in federally funded education programs. We alleged that UT created a hostile sexual environment for female students. Following our firm’s Title IX settlement, UT made changes to its student code of conduct and its practices for handling sexual assault complaints..
$2 million
$1.3 million
Several business owners in Tennessee were wrongfully arrested on charges that were later dropped. We sued the Sheriff of Rutherford County, the Smyrna Police Chief, and Rutherford County District Attorneys for civil rights violations, including the false arrests.
Truck Accidents
$1 million
A grandmother died when a cement truck rear-ended her vehicle in McKenzie, Tennessee.
$1 million
A tractor-trailer rear-ended an engaged couple on I-40 near Memphis, Tennessee, causing serious injuries.
$700,000
A man died in a tractor-trailer collision on I-24 near Manchester, Tennessee.
$650,000
A woman sustained catastrophic injuries from a multiple-vehicle car wreck on I-40 near Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.
$525,000
A woman died in tractor-trailer collision on I-40 near Jackson, Tennessee.
Wrongful Death
$10.7 million
A man died suddenly after returning home from ER where hew as never seen by a physician.
$1.1 million
An explosion at a fabrication facility in Tennessee resulted in burns to multiple workers, including the death of a 20-year-old man with a wife and two children. The explosion occurred because of inadequate safety protocols, supervision and safety equipment.
$1 million
A grandmother died when a cement truck rear-ended her vehicle otuside of Nashville, Tennessee.
$750,000
A young mother (with her infant in the car) died when a suspect who was being chased by law enforcement crashed into her vehicle during rush-hour traffic in Rutherford County, Tennessee.
$700,000
A man died in a tractor-trailer collision on I-24 near Manchester, Tennessee.
Recent Settlements
$160,000 Dog Bite Injury Settlement
DRS Law recently settled a dog bite personal injury case for $160,000. While watering plants in her front yard, our client was attacked by a neighbor’s Pit Bull. The dog had a history of viciousness and was “running at large” in violation of Tennessee’s strict liability dog bite laws. Our client...
$325,000 Settlement: Compensation for Loss of a Testicle
DRS Law recently settled a medical malpractice case involving the loss of a testicle for $325,000. DRS Law recently reached a $325,000 personal injury settlement after our client lost his testicle due to a failure to diagnose testicular torsion. We can help you get compensated for the loss...
$100,000 Tennessee Underinsured Motorist (UM) Settlement
In 2022, DRS Law resolved an auto accident case involving a tractor-trailer wreck for the maximum available auto insurance. A distracted driver crossed the center line and struck our client's vehicle head-on. Our client was left with a totaled truck, which he used for his business, and injuries to...
Golf cart injury lawsuit: $375,000 settlement
In 2021, our Nashville personal injury lawyers reached a $375,000 settlement in a golf cart injury lawsuit against a hotel resort. The theory of liability in this case was that the hotel resort had negligently maintained the golf cart. Because of this failure, the golf cart traveled at an...
$193,000 settlement for traumatic brain injury from fall caused by dangerous sidewalk
In 2021, our Nashville personal injury firm reached a $193,000 slip and fall settlement for traumatic brain injury ("TBI") from a fall caused by a dangerous and uneven sidewalk. This was an unusually complex premises liability case, also known as a "slip and fall" case. Because the defendant was a...
Confidential settlement for death of a 65-year old woman from aneurysm
Our medical malpractice firm reached a $425,000 settlement in the death of a 65-year old woman from a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, also known as an "AAA" or "triple A." According to the Mayo Clinic: "An abdominal aortic aneurysm is an enlarged area in the lower part of the major vessel that...
$125,000 settlement reached against landlord in carbon monoxide poisoning case
Settlement In Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Lawsuit In 2021, our personal injury lawyers reached a $125,000 settlement against a landlord for injuries sustained in a carbon monoxide poisoning case. In this case, the theory of liability was that the landlord negligently caused the leak of carbon...
$1.3M Settlement Reached for Business Owners Falsely Arrested in ‘Operation Candy Crush’ Sting
From the Tennessee Bar Association: Store owners who were falsely arrested during “Operation Candy Crush” in Rutherford County have reached a $1.3 million settlement with local officials, the Daily News Journal reports. A class-action lawsuit against...
$550,000 settlement reached in police misconduct lawsuit
On March 9, 2021, Nashville civil rights law firm David Randolph Smith & Associates settled a police misconduct lawsuit against the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee for $550,000. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the details: "The Chattanooga City Council approved a $550,000 settlement...
$100,000 settlement for physical abuse by in-home nurse
In 2021, our personal injury lawyers reached a $100,000 settlement in a case where an at-home nurse physically abused a patient. Cases like this one can be very complex, since in Tennessee, even a clear case of assault by a nurse may technically be a "health care liability action," formerly known...
Meet Our Attorneys
Cases That Matter
Landmark Victories That Changed The Law
Our firm has represented individuals in several landmark cases that resulted in changes in the law that make our communities safer. Cases include major victories in federal courts and in the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Unsure if you have a case?
Contact us for a free consultation.
Jordan v. Baptist Three Rivers
Wrongful Death / Medical Malpractice
When her mother tragically passed away because of the carelessness of a hospital and its doctors, Martha Jordan called our firm for help. At that time, children were unable to recover damages for the loss of their parents’ companionship and affection in Tennessee.
We fought to change the law so that Ms. Jordan could recover damages for the loss of her mother’s emotional support. Because of this case, plaintiffs who’ve lost a parent can recover the “intangible benefits” they would have received from the deceased parent.
Barkes v. River Park Hosp., Inc.
Wrongful Death / Medical Malpractice
Wayne Barkes passed away suddenly after returning home from the ER where he was never seen by a physician. Following this tragedy, his wife turned to our firm for help.
We discovered that the hospital had a policy requiring every ER patient to see a physician and we sued the hospital for failing to enforce this policy. At trial, the jury awarded Ms. Barkes $7.2 million.
When the hospital appealed the verdict, we successfully persuaded the Tennessee Supreme Court that hospitals could be held accountable for failing to follow standardized practices that keep patients safe.
Before Barkes, hospitals claimed they could be held responsible only for the wrongdoing of their employees and not directly for internal policy violations.
Ashe v. Radiation Oncology Associates
Patricia Ashe was diagnosed with breast cancer and ordered to receive radiation therapy. During a radiation therapy visit, Ms. Ashe suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury.
We sued the doctor for medical malpractice and lack of informed consent because her doctor did not inform her of the risk of paralysis from radiation therapy.
Unfortunately, the trial court and appellate court rejected Ms. Ashe’s case. Undeterred, we appealed and successfully persuaded the Tennessee Supreme Court that the lower courts had applied the wrong legal standard. Tennessee’s highest court adopted the legal rule we were proposing and ruled in favor of Ms. Ashe.
This result didn’t just help Ms. Ashe; it helped protect the rights of patients across Tennessee to be informed participants in their health care decisions.
Bennett v. Trevecca Nazrene University
Gary Bennett was badly burned in a high-voltage electrical explosion while repairing a malfunctioning switchgear at a college campus. In Tennessee, independent contractors generally cannot recover from landowners if they are injured while performing work on the landowner’s property. Because of this rule, several Tennessee personal injury attorneys believed Mr. Bennett didn’t have a winnable case.
But, our firm saw a legal solution that other lawyers were missing. We won Mr. Bennett’s case by arguing to the Tennessee Supreme Court that the college had assumed a duty when it misrepresented the voltage of the switchgear to Mr. Bennett.
As a result of Bennett, the Tennessee Supreme Court confirmed that those injured by others’ negligence can recover if the responsible party assumed a duty of care. This result has had far-reaching implications and helped many injured people recover the damages they deserve.