Representing Plaintiffs Since 1895

Having been a trial lawyer for 40 years, Mr. Thompson has handled civil cases of all types in both State and Federal Courts in Alabama and throughout the United States resulting in million dollar verdicts. He has been involved in cases in the states of Florida, Arkansas, California, Texas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois, Idaho, Tennessee, New York and Michigan. His cases have involved catastrophic injury and death involving airplane crashes, both in general aviation as well as airline crashes, nursing home abuse, product liability, product failures, and personal injury. He has been involved in hundreds of jury cases and trials while representing catastrophically injured clients.

For years Mr. Thompson represented the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and was involved in scores of cases involving injury to the railroad workers of America’s railroads. He has been involved in admiralty cases and served as a lead counsel in the Amtrak disaster involving 47 deaths when a tugboat destroyed a bridge upon which an Amtrak train was traveling near Mobile, Alabama. The cases tried by Mr. Thompson rising out of this disaster resulted in million dollar verdicts for his clients.

He also served as lead counsel in a class action case on behalf of the class of several thousand Florida businesses and residents against Microsoft Corporation resulting in a settlement of $200,000,000. He also represented plaintiffs arising out of the mid-air collision over the Grand Canyon where 25 people lost their lives.

Mr. Thompson has been involved in the trial of airline crash cases involving international airlines, resulting in the award of punitive damages based on the wanton misconduct of the airline crew, thus expanding the law of damages allowed under the Warsaw Convention. He has successfully tried numerous cases resulting in million dollar verdicts and has had the privilege of representing catastrophically injured clients and the survivors of their families.

Mr. Thompson has been recognized by his peers in the practice of law by being inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and has served as Dean of the Academy, the American Board of Trial Advocates and has enjoyed the highest peer review ratings which attest to a lawyer’s legal ability and professional ethics based on confidential opinions of members of the Bar and Judiciary. He has for years been recognized and selected by his peers to be included in the Best Lawyers in America and Alabama Super Lawyers as one of the top five aviation attorneys in the State of Alabama. He is a member of Lawdragon 500 which includes less than .01% of all lawyers in the U.S. The group consists of the nation’s most trusted attorneys in the courtroom. He is an active member and former President of the Southern Museum of Flight Foundation and has for many years served on its Board of Directors and also is a member of the Lawyer Pilot’s Bar Association, the Alabama State Bar, the American Bar, and has chaired committees involving air taxi and commercial airlines. He is a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and has served on the Alabama Trial Lawyers Board of Governors, Executive Committee, and as President of the Birmingham Trial Lawyers Association. He is a designated lawyer for the Aircraft Pilots and Owners Association Legal Services Program.

Mr. Thompson was born and raised in a small town in south Alabama where his father was a country lawyer. He is one of seven currently practicing attorneys in his family. He has a passion for aviation and has been a pilot since 1963. He is an Airline Transport Pilot, the highest license issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. He has flown 63 different types of aircraft and has 5,000 hours of flight time. He is rated in sea planes, gliders, multi-engine aircraft and jets. He currently owns and flies a P-51 Mustang as well as the firm’s Citation jet in which he is qualified to fly single pilot.

Affiliations

• Alabama Association for Justice (Alabama Trial Lawyers Association)
• American Association for Justice (Association of Trial Lawyers of America and American Trial Lawyers Association)
• American Board of Trial Advocates
• International Academy of Trial Lawyers