Page Content
Special Counsel
Phone: (865) 546-7311
Fax: (865) 524-1773
Email:
srutherford@kmfpc.com
SAMUEL W. RUTHERFORD has practiced law more than 35 years, primarily as a litigator in personal injury, tort claims, transportation, product liability, workers’ compensation, professional negligence construction, insurance defense and insurance coverage. He represents major manufacturers, international companies, trucking companies, distributors, insured, self-insureds, churches, and insurance companies. Mr. Rutherford completed tractor-trailer driver training programs and industry seminars. Product liability work includes industrial machinery, commercial and recreational vehicles, sport and utility equipment and food industry litigation. Three decades of trials and jury verdicts include defense of industrial equipment related deaths, closed head injuries, vehicle accidents and premises liability accidents involved fatalities and multiple severe injuries, and use of numerous documents and experts in various fields. Successful defense of catastrophic injury, multiple fatality accidents, and multi-million dollar damage claims has been achieved through examination of expert witnesses, surveillance data and witnesses, application of statutory and case law, focus groups, and mediation. He is Co-Chair of the Judicial Committee for the Knoxville Bar Association and holds memberships in the Insurance Section of the Tennessee Bar Association, Knoxville Bar Foundation, and Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association. He has been a seminar speaker on transportation, workers’ compensation, and employer-employee issues.
Mr. Rutherford served in the United States Air Force in medical air evacuation and emergency-room medicine before beginning his law practice. Mr. Rutherford is a former shareholder with the Lewis - Thomason Law Firm and founding member of Stokes - Rutherford Law Firm. He received his B.S. degree in 1975 from East Tennessee State University and his law degree in 1978 from the University of Tennessee where he served as the president of Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity.
Areas of Practice
Personal Injury
Workers’ Compensation
Insurance Defense
Transportation Litigation
Church Representation
Education
University of Tennessee – J.D., 1978
East Tennessee State University – B.S., 1975
Bar Admissions
Tennessee – 1978
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee – 1979
Memberships
Tennessee Bar Association
Knoxville Bar Association
Knoxville Bar Foundation
Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association