Trial Attorney John
Griffith

Background

Starting his career as an insurance claims adjuster, he saw how his decisions could impact people’s lives, positively or negatively, after they’d been seriously injured by someone else’s carelessness. That’s when he began to realize the frustration of working for insurance companies, whose main products are promises in exchange for money and those promises of coverage were broken far too often.

“One of the most frustrating aspects of trial is that the jury is never told that the defendant has insurance, the defense lawyers are either paid or work directly for the insurance companies, and the full judgment is paid by insurance.  I have never tried a case in any courtroom where that was not true. The insurance companies low ball us and force us to go to court with nothing to lose.   I have actively tried to change the law allowing direct action against the insurance companies instead of suing the individual— as a member of the TTLA legislative committee, but the insurance lobby stops us every single time.  I hope to change that someday to make it fair for the working man. I hate keeping the jury in the dark.” – John Griffith

As a result, John decided to focus on combating those broken promises by attending law school and committed his career to standing up for injured victims. Now, as an experienced personal injury lawyer, he fights on behalf of deserving people who have been treated unfairly by those same insurance companies.

And for John, his clients are more than a case number, which is why he stays in touch with many of them. In fact, he regularly calls former clients to simply catch up and see how they’re doing.

In addition to his law practice, John is committed to advancing the cause of his clients and has served in multiple positions within the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association including:

Outside of work

Family and hometown roots mean a lot to John, who grew up in New Johnsonville in Humphreys County, Tennessee. Although he received several full-ride college scholarships offers while playing high school football for the Waverly Tigers, he chose to attend Vanderbilt University and walk-on to the Vanderbilt Commodores and play in the SEC where he played Strong Safety and Cornerback.

When he’s not in the office, you’ll find him pursuing his love of music, playing the guitar and making music with his family.

He also enjoys practicing jiu jitsu, working hard on his farm, and spending time with his family and beloved Australian shepherd, Buck.

John’s favorite quote:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt