D. Russell Thomas | Murfreesboro Personal Injury Lawyer

Attorney D. Russell Thomas was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, August 3, 1952. He attended Middle Tennessee State University (B.S., 1970-74). He was a member of Kappa Sigma after his undergraduate degree. He attended Memphis State University Law School for his J.D. degree (1974-77). Mr. Thomas was admitted to the Tennessee bar in 1978, and is admitted to the U.S. District Court in the, Middle and Eastern Districts of Tennessee.

D. Russell Thomas was a member of Phi Alpha Delta and a 1985 Graduate of ATLA’s Advanced Civil Litigation Course. Mr. Thomas served on the Board of Governors as the Representative for the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association for the 6th District of Tennessee, 1991—2005 and 2016-2018. He is a member of the Rutherford County, Tennessee Bar Association, The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association (Legislative Committee, 2000—2004), Trial Master, and 2005-2006 President of the Andrew Jackson American Inns of Court. He is the author of "Automobile Liability in Tennessee" published in The Tennessee Trial Lawyers Magazine.

Mr. Thomas has been a guest lecturer for the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association since 1992; lecturing on selected topics, including worker's compensation, personal injury,(which includes automobile cases, product liability, and premises liability) as well as the effective utilization of the American Medical Association Guides to the evaluation of permanent impairment in workers' compensation, personal injury cases, trial tactics, and civil jury trials.

Based on a confidential survey of other attorneys in this area by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, D. Russell Thomas received an AV Rating. The A – is the mark of the highest rating of legal ability. The V – is the mark of the highest standards of legal ethics.

According to Martindale-Hubbell, “AV Peer Review Rating" shows that a lawyer has reached the height of professional excellence. He or she has usually practiced law for many years, and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity". He has held this rating for approximately two decades. He is a 2018 graduate of Keenan Trial Institute which is an advanced trial techniques college out of Atlanta, Georgia. He spends many hours in continuing education each year.

Mr. Thomas was raised on a dairy/beef farm in Cannon County and was active in the 4-H club with interests in cattle and horses. He kept an ongoing cattle operation until 2010. He played music with rock and blues bands off and on for 25 years. He now lives in Murfreesboro, TN with his wife Jeanmarie. His current office where he has practiced for 20 of the last 43 years is 5 minutes off of the square. The practice is devoted to plaintiff's cases for personal injuries and selected workers' compensation cases.

An injured employee was denied needed surgery. The Tennessee Bureau of Workers\' Compensation Workers\' Compensation Appeals Board ruled in the worker\'s favor granting the surgery and clarifying confusing statutory law in favor of injured workers. In that same case the question of when attorneys fees could and should be awarded was addressed and Tennessee law was clarified in that regard. The style of that case is Bob Walls v United Technologies Corp., et al. Appeal from the Court of Workers\' Compensation Claims. Docket No.: 2019--05-0371, State File No.: 57369-2018.

Primarily by word of mouth, case by case with limited advertising for the most part.

Integrity, experience and someone who listens.

Knowledge of the judges is helpful and somewhat important, but I travel and at any given time will have one or more cases out of state. Juries appear to be largely the same all over. I believe understanding jury dynamics is more important that the local politics of the the various judges in a locale.

I can advise of possible causes of action, check the statute of limitations in most cases and recommend a course of action if requested.

The correct date of the injury. A full description of the mechanism of the injury/ies and a full description of the scope of the injury/ies.

I am the first attorney in Murfreesboro to devote the practice solely to personal injury and workers\' compensation. Also, I have been in practice longer than most of the other practicing attorneys.

Helping people.

Playing music. I enjoy both keyboards and guitars. Also, I have been a scuba diver since 1980 and continue to dive when possible with my most recent adventure being a dive in Cozumel in 2021.

Yes. I am a member of Lawyers Involved for Tennessee which deals with consumer issues affecting the public. I am also active in my church. I also serve on a non-profit for a community cemetery.

• Rutherford County Bar Association | Member
  Tennessee Bar Association | Member
  American Association for Justice | Sustaining Member
  Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association Sustaining Member, Served on Board of Governors for 18 Years
  Andrew Jackson Inn of Court | President | 2005-2007

• AV Preeminent Rated | Martindale-Hubbell

• Tennessee Trial Lawyers Magazine | Automobile Liability in Tennessee | 2000

D. Russell Thomas has been a Premium Member since October 15, 2021.
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