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Jeremiah A. Byrne
Practice Group Leader
Louisville, KY
Practice Group Leader
Louisville, KY
Jeremiah is a trial lawyer who concentrates his practice in tort and commercial litigation. With first chair trial experience in multiple state and federal jurisdictions, Jeremiah leads litigation teams to successfully defend catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and business claims. He represents national restaurant chains, gas and electric utility companies, product manufacturers, motor carriers, insurers, and other local, regional, and national companies.
As Chair of the firm’s Product, Tort, & Insurance Litigation Practice Group, Jeremiah has over two decades of experience with all stages of litigation: leading client-focused teams for accident investigation, prelitigation dispute resolution, arbitration, pretrial discovery, trial, and appeal. Jeremiah also is often retained in the months leading up to trial as “parachute trial counsel” to assist with case valuation, evidentiary analysis, trial strategy and preparation, and leading the trial team. He is regularly retained to help clients limit their exposure from claims ranging from large-scale disasters resulting in catastrophic injuries to residential fires and consumer product injury claims.
Jeremiah leads the firm’s Dram Shop Litigation Team and also litigates complex business disputes, truck wreck cases, insurance coverage issues, indemnity claims, and bad faith actions.
Grede Holdings, LLC v. Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, LLC, Mercer Circuit Court, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky (June 2016) – Served as trial counsel and obtained judgment in favor of Grede Holdings for over $1.1 million in automotive commercial dispute while also successfully defending Hitachi’s counterclaim seeking approximately $2.7 million in damages.
Estate of Matthew Lane, et al. v. W.A. Kendall & Co., et al., Owsley Circuit Court, Booneville, Kentucky– Served as lead trial counsel and obtained a complete defense verdict in favor of a commercial motor carrier in a wrongful death (husband) and catastrophic amputation (wife) lawsuit seeking $70 million in damages
Martin v. Louisville Gas and Electric Company, et al., Jefferson Circuit Court, Louisville, Kentucky– Served as lead trial counsel and obtained a defense verdict in favor of an electrical utility company in a motorcycle lawsuit seeking $4.5 million in personal injury damages
Chris Hart v. AMK Instrument Company, Inc., Jefferson Circuit Court, Louisville, Kentucky- Served as lead trial counsel and obtained a defense verdict on product liability claims in favor of the seller of a leveling instrument
Vail v. Kentucky Utilities and Asplundh Tree Expert Company, Union Circuit Court, Morganfield, Kentucky– Served as lead trial counsel and obtained a defense verdict in favor of an electrical utility company and tree trimming company on property damage claims related to a tree fall accident
Wrongful Death – Kentucky – Won summary judgment in favor of a national restaurant chain in a wrongful death dram shop lawsuit related to a two-death motor vehicle accident. Plaintiff sought damages in excess of $8 million.
Wrongful Death/Serious Physical Injury – Illinois – Successfully defended national restaurant chain in dram shop lawsuit stemming from motor vehicle accident that resulted in the death of one occupant and serious physical injury to the other.
Serious Personal Injury – Georgia – Obtained dismissal for national restaurant chain in dram shop personal injury matter related to motor vehicle accident.
Wrongful Death/Serious Injury – Texas – Defended a national restaurant chain in dram shop claim arising from a fiery collision between two vehicles that led to the death of three individuals and serious injury of three more. Our rapid response and aggressive defense resulted in a favorable resolution of this matter for our client.
Serious Injury – New Jersey – Defending national restaurant chain in dram shop claim arising from a collision between two vehicles that resulted in serious injury.
Wrongful Death – Kentucky – Defended national restaurant chain in dram shop wrongful death claim resulting from a collision between a moped and a semi-truck.
Wrongful Death – Texas – Successfully defended wrongful death claim in dram shop claim arising from motor vehicle striking and killing a pedestrian.
Serious Injury – Indiana – Successfully defended national restaurant chain in dram shop lawsuit stemming from motor vehicle vs. building collision resulting in serious injury.
Serious Injury – Ohio – Successfully defended national chain restaurant in dram shop lawsuit arising from motor vehicle collision resulting in multiple serious injuries.
Serious Injury – Florida – Successfully defended national restaurant chain in dram shop lawsuit stemming from motor vehicle accident resulting in serious injury.
Serious Injury – Arizona – Defending national restaurant chain in dram shop lawsuit arising from an incident wherein a vehicle drove into a home.
Estate of Kierran Lindsay and Estate of Kaden Lindsay, et al. v. Louisville Gas and Electric Company, Jefferson Circuit Court, Louisville, Kentucky – Obtained a complete dismissal of all claims against an electrical utility company in a wrongful death house fire lawsuit seeking more than $13 million in damages
Mountain View Recreation, Inc. dba Mountain View Casino v. Imperial Commercial Cooking Equipment, et al., Nye District Court, Pahrump, Nevada – Defended product manufacturer as first-chair litigation counsel in a $35 million property damage subrogation lawsuit arising out of a catastrophic casino fire
Estate of Tony Gray v. Brook Ledge, Inc., Fayette Circuit Court, Lexington, Kentucky – Conducted a rapid response scene investigation on the day of a fatal motorcycle v. truck incident and later obtained a complete dismissal of the wrongful death lawsuit filed against the trucking company
Wallace Wales v. Louisville Gas and Electric Company, et al., Jefferson Circuit Court, Louisville, Kentucky – Gained summary judgment in favor of a gas and electric utility company on personal injury claims in motorcycle case seeking more than $4 million in compensatory and punitive damages
The Estate of David Avant, et al. v. Kentucky Utilities Company, Bell Circuit Court, Pineville, Kentucky – After aggressive incident investigation and extensive pre-trial discovery, obtained summary judgment in favor of a gas and electric utility company in an electrical contact wrongful death case seeking more than $50 million in damages
Sidi Moctar v. Yellow Cab Co. of Louisville, LLC, et al., Jefferson Circuit Court, Louisville, Kentucky – Won a Motion to Dismiss on behalf of a taxi cab company after it was sued for personal injury damages arising out of a shooting
James Murphy v. Louisville Gas and Electric Company, United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky – Obtained summary judgment in favor of a gas and electric utility company on wrongful death and loss of consortium claims related to a workplace accident
Elswick v. Mizpah Hotel, LLC, Washoe District Court, Reno, Nevada– Defended the owner/operator of the historic Mizpah Hotel in Reno, Nevada, the site of an October 31, 2006 arson fire resulting in twelve deaths and over thirty injuries
Allen v. Greenville Hotel Partners, Inc., 409 F. Supp. 2d 672 (D.S.C. 2006) – Obtained summary judgment in favor of international hotel franchise company sued by four victims of an arson fire at the Comfort Inn in Greenville, South Carolina
Kentucky National Insurance Company v. W.M. Barr & Company, Inc., United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky– Obtained summary judgment in favor of a manufacturer of paint stripping gel in product liability action arising out of a residential fire
University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, J.D., 2002, magna cum laude
Editor-in-Chief, Brandeis Law Journal
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
University of Kentucky, B.A., 1996
Courts of Commonwealth of Kentucky
U.S. District Courts in Kentucky
U.S. District Courts in Indiana
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Second Circuit Court of Appeals
Selected for inclusion in Kentucky Super Lawyers®, 2013-2023
Chambers USA, Litigation: Tort & Insurance Defense, 2015-2018
International Association of Defense Counsel
Defense Research Institute (DRI)
Kentucky Bar Association
Kentucky Defense Counsel
Louisville Bar Association
Product, Tort and Insurance Litigation, Practice Group Leader
Contingent Fee Committee, Member
Pro Bono Committee, Member
Recruiting Committee, former Member
Technology & Innovation Committee , former Member
March 30, 2021
April 1, 2011