New Hope Medical Malpractice Lawyers

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...