Briggs Dixson is a partner at Starnes Davis Florie, LLP. He is licensed to practice law in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas. He focuses his practice on representing individuals and businesses in complex civil litigation matters in state and federal courts. He also has extensive experience representing health care providers in professional negligence actions, professional licensure matters, and government investigations. In addition to his litigation practice, Briggs serves as outside general counsel for businesses and healthcare providers, advising on a wide range of operational and legal matters, including contract review. Prior to joining Starnes Davis Florie, Briggs completed a two-year federal clerkship for the Honorable P.K. Holmes, III, United States District Court Judge for the Western District of Arkansas.
Briggs is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School in Nashville, Tennessee. During law school, Briggs completed tenures with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary under United States Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, and for the Tennessee Supreme Court under former Chief Justice Gary Wade. He also served as a legal writing teaching assistant, as well as research assistant to Professor Brian Fitzpatrick, both while enrolled at Vanderbilt Law School.
Professional Recognition
- Named a Rising Star in Super Lawyers, 2023-present.
- Advisory Board, High Hopes Development Center
Community Involvement
Briggs is a past member of the Advisory Board at High Hopes Development Center in Franklin, TN. He is also a youth baseball coach.
Highlights
- Obtained a dismissal at trial on behalf of a hospitalist, a nurse practitioner, and their practice group. The Plaintiff, who was seeking a multimillion-dollar award for the alleged wrongful death of his wife, voluntarily dismissed his case on the third day of trial following opening statements, examination of the Plaintiff’s expert outside the jury’s presence, and a motion challenging the admissibility of that expert’s causation opinions.
- Obtained a defense verdict for a urologist, following a six-day jury trial. The jury returned its verdict after approximately two hours of deliberations. Plaintiffs sought a multi-million-dollar damages award related to an allegedly misplaced ureteral stent for kidney stone treatment.
- Obtained a defense verdict for a radiologist and his practice, following a six-day jury trial. The jury returned its verdict after approximately 90 minutes of deliberations. Plaintiffs sought a significant damages award related to alleged missed findings on a pediatric patient’s abdomen and pelvis CT scan, which Plaintiffs claim should have been reported as consistent with appendicitis.
- Obtained a defense verdict for an otolaryngologist and his practice following a six-day jury trial. The jury deliberated for approximately 40 minutes before returning its verdict. The plaintiff sought $2.5 million after developing meningitis and pneumocephalus following an endoscopic sinus surgery.
- Successfully defended a case against a general surgeon at trial involving a patient with a global anoxic brain injury, and seeking over $10 million in damages.
- Obtained a judgement for over $1.8 million dollars with future interest in a breach of contract case for his plaintiff-client.
- Successfully argued an appeal leading to the Tennessee Court of Appeals overturning a trial court’s ruling of equitable estoppel preventing collection on a debt.
Presentations and Publications
- Shariful Syed, M.D., Brigham A. Dixson, Esq., M.B.A., Rodrigo Fontonele, MD, Spencer Eth, MD, and Judith Regan, M.D., J.D., Death of the Suicide-Law: A Changing Standard of Liability for Clinicians, Journal of Forensic Sciences (July 2024)
- Medical-Legal Overview, Tennessee Ambulance Service Association (TASA), Mid-Winter Leadership Conference (Feb. 2024)
- Medical-Legal Issues for New Physicians, University of Tennessee Emergency Medicine Residency Program (2022)
- Shariful Syed, M.D., Brigham A. Dixson, Esq., M.B.A., Eduardo Constantino, M.D., and Judith Regan, M.D., J.D., The Law and Practice of Off-Label Prescribing and Physician Promotion, J. Am. Acad. Psych. & Law (March 2021; online Nov./Dec. 2020)
- The Clinical Collaborative: The Law and Liability of Providers in Suicidal Patients, Webinar, MAXIMUS, Inc. (February 17, 2021)
- The Law and Practice of Off-Label Prescribing and Physician Promotion, Didactic, Oklahoma State University Psychiatry, Video Webinar (January 2021)
- Medical-Legal Issues in Critical Care Transport, Ascension Saint Thomas EMS Critical Care Transport Certification Program (Annual presenter since Spring 2019)
- Topics in Physician Liability for Patient Suicide, VISN 19 Federal Psychiatrists, Video Webinar (December 2020)
Fun Facts
In his free time, Briggs enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, and two golden retrievers.