Michael K. Wright | Starnes Law

Mike Wright has tried lawsuits throughout the State of Alabama and the southeast for more than 30 years. He is a senior partner and has served on the firm’s executive committee. Mike’s practice is devoted entirely to civil litigation and has included matters involving professional medical liability, product liability, medical device litigation, pharmaceutical liability, corporate litigation, insurance declaratory judgment litigation, bad faith litigation, fraud, contractual litigation and other forms of professional liability litigation, including the representation of architects and engineers. Mike has tried more than 150 complex civil litigation cases to a jury verdict.

Professional Recognition

Diplomate of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
A Fellow of the Birmingham Bar Foundation
Top Leading Litigator by Chambers USA
Listed in Best Lawyers in America®
Name a "Litigation Star" in Benchmark Litigation
"Lawyer of the Year" for Birmingham, Alabama, Medical Malpractice Law- Defendants in the 2018 edition of Best Lawyers in America
An AV rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingsTM

Community Involvement

Mike has served two terms as President of the Epilepsy Board of North & Central Alabama.
He has served as Chair of the Pre-Law Advisory Board for the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
He is a supporter of the United Way, the Bridge’s Foundation, and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Highlights

Secured a judgment as a matter of law for a general surgeon on day 3 of a wrongful death jury trial in a case involving a pulmonary embolus four days following an exploratory laparotomy for bowel obstruction.
Obtained a defense verdict for an obstetrician following an 8-day jury trial in Federal Court in Florence, Alabama, in a case involving a “pan-plexus” injury at birth.
Obtained judgment as a matter of law in favor of a family medicine physician and his medical assistant following the trial of a combined personal injury and wrongful death case.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a general surgeon in a case involving laparoscopic cholecystectomy which resulted in a complete transection of the common bile duct.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of two OB/GYNs in a two-week maternal death trial alleging negligent management of gestational hypertension and negligence in failing to administer diuretics in the postpartum period.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a neurosurgeon in a wrong level spinal surgery case involving allegations of a breach in the standard of care by operating at the T8-9 level instead of the intended T9-10 level.
Obtained a judgment as a matter of law in favor of an emergency room physician in a wrongful death case alleging negligence in the work-up of a patient who presented to the emergency department.

Obtained a defense verdict in favor of an obstetrician-gynecologist in a wrongful death case alleging negligent management of a pregnancy.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of an urologist who performed a microwave procedure to relieve symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of an obstetrician-gynecologist in a case alleging negligent management of a suspected ectopic pregnancy.
Following a three week jury trial, obtained a verdict in favor of a urologist in a wrongful death action alleging failure to diagnose and treat postoperative bleeding following a bilateral hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy surgery.
Obtained judgment as a matter of law on behalf of a general surgeon arising out of claims that he negligently performed a laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.
Obtained judgment as a matter of law during jury trial for general surgeon accused of negligently failing to prescribe anticoagulants following an intraoperative surgical complication.
Secured a defense verdict for a reproductive endocrinologist in a wrongful death claim filed by a mother in connection with the loss of her unborn child.
Secured a defense verdict for an emergency room physician and a radiologist in a medical malpractice action in Houston County, Alabama. The plaintiff in the case alleged that both physicians improperly failed to diagnose a fracture and acute rotary subluxation of the C1 vertebral ring following a motorcycle accident. The plaintiff argued that he suffers permanent torticollis, pain and disfigurement as a result of the alleged failure to diagnose. Following a week long trial in which nine witnesses testified, the jury returned a verdict in favor of both defendants.
Secured a defense verdict for a group of three cardiologists in a wrongful death action alleging that the cardiologists improperly failed to consult a surgeon to perform an embolectomy following the diagnosis of a thromboembolic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) during a cardiac catheterization procedure.
Secured dismissal of two gastroenterologists and a hospitalist during a twelve day wrongful death trial in Jefferson County, Alabama.
Obtained judgment as a matter of law for surgeon after five days of trial in wrongful death claim involving allegations of failure to diagnose and treat a perforated duodenal ulcer.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a general surgeon in a wrongful death case alleging negligent failure to treat peripheral vascular disease with an aortobifemoral bypass graft surgery versus more conservative management options.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a plastic surgeon in a wrongful death case alleging negligent postoperative monitoring of a patient with Von Recklinghausen’s neurofibromatosis.
Obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a radiologist in a case alleging negligence in the failure to properly diagnose an acoustic neuroma on a CT scan.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a cardiologist in a wrongful death case alleging negligent management of conscious sedation and resuscitation during an angioplasty and stent placement procedure.
Obtained defense judgment for nursing home in four day arbitration involving claims by plaintiff for personal injury and wrongful death.
Obtained a defense verdict in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama for an orthopedic surgeon charged with placing a plate directly over a patient’s radial nerve during an open reduction and internal fixation procedure performed to treat the patient’s severe humeral fracture.
Obtained a defense verdict in a wrongful death case alleging that a cardiothoracic surgeon negligently cut the subclavian artery during cardiac bypass surgery.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of an anesthesiologist in a case arising out of a cervical epidural block which led to a spinal cord injury.
Recently obtained a defense verdict for an OB/GYN in case involving improper conduction of electricity/heat to patient’s tissue during a LEEP.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of an emergency room physician in a wrongful death case alleging negligent failure to diagnose an arteriovenous malformation within the brain.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a certified registered nurse anesthetist in a case alleging negligent failure to appropriately follow manufacturer recommendations in administering Trasylol through a peripheral IV.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of an anesthesiologist and CRNA in a case alleging that negligent administration of oxygen resulted in a surgical fire during a tonsillectomy for a four-year-old patient.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a family medicine specialist in a wrongful death case alleging negligent failure to appropriately follow a pericardial effusion.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of an emergency room physician in a case involving the death of an infant following evaluation and discharge from the emergency room.
Obtained a defense verdict in favor of a general surgeon in a case alleging negligent failure to detect bowel injury and negligent failure to surgically repair a fistula.
Obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a radiologist in a suit alleging negligence in the failure to properly interpret the progressive worsening of a moderate subarachnoid hemorrhage in two CT scan studies.
Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a hematology oncology specialist in a case involving chemotherapy overdose.
Obtained a jury verdict in favor of two anesthesiologists in a pediatric death case involving tracheal rupture associated with intubation.
Obtained a jury verdict in favor of an anesthesiologist in a case involving paralysis following the administration of a cervical epidural block.

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Fun Facts

When he’s not practicing Law, you can find Mike either racing cars, attending a car race, or playing the drums in his band.

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Courts

United States Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama

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Michael K. Wright (Mike)