Michael L. Bell - Birmingham, Alabama Automotive Attorney

Biography

Mike Bell is at home in the courtroom.

Mike's trial experience, spanning more than 30 years, is extremely diversified. Bringing passion, creativity and resourcefulness to every case, he fights to make sure his client’s side of the story is heard and understood at each stage. His end goal at trial is for every client to truly believe they had their day in court, that their truthful message was effectively delivered and that the Lightfoot team found solutions for both the known, unknown and unknowable problems that occurred along the way.

Seeing trials of all types unfold in many diverse courtrooms gives Mike both perspective and credibility in the litigation arena. This is where “trial tough” and “solution savvy” meet. Put another way, there are no guarantees in litigation. Real trial experience serves as the foundation for solutions in this uncertain litigation world. That’s why Mike makes it his job to find the right solution — at the right time — for each client.

Mike is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honor limited to a select group of trial lawyers in the United States, and he is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Mike was named the 2018 “Birmingham Lawyer of the Year” for personal injury litigation by The Best Lawyers in America©, received Benchmark Litigation's “Local Litigation Star” award in 2018 and was listed in the 2017-18 editions of Mid-South Super Lawyers. He holds an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell. Most importantly, Mike has an amazing wife and three remarkable children who are pretty tough and savvy themselves.

Representative Matters

Representing an automotive manufacturer in a claim for a defective latch involving the ejection of a child that resulted in quadriplegia. The latch was the subject of a widespread, well-known recall campaign. After eight days of trial, the jury returned a unanimous defense verdict.

Representing a physician in two trials where it was claimed that she violated the standard of care in the delivery process of a patient based on fetal heart rate strips. The damages claimed were in excess of $20 million. After 10 days of evidence and 3.5 days of deliberation in the first trial, a mistrial was declared because of a hung jury. The second trial lasted 10 days, but deliberations were two hours. The jury returned a unanimous defense verdict.

Representing one of the largest pest control operators in a month-long trial involving allegations of consumer fraud where the plaintiff sought hundreds of millions of dollars in both compensatory and punitive damages. The jury found in our client’s favor on the fraud claims and gave the plaintiff $150,000 on the breach of contract claim — about $50,000 less than the offer of judgment made three months before trial.

Representing a natural gas utility in a trial involving claims that a reported and ignored gas leak caused a residential explosion. Following opening statements — in which the jury was shown basic scientific principles that refuted virtually every allegation — and the recanting of pretrial testimony by the plaintiff’s first witness, the lawsuit was settled at a nominal sum to avoid the remaining days of trial.

Representing a manufacturer of paper plates that received a complaint for injunction under the Lanham Act to stop airing national television commercials comparing its paper plate to a competing manufacturer. Following a preliminary injunction hearing with live witnesses, the injunction was denied and the commercials were aired repeatedly.

Representing an emergency medicine physician accused in a wrongful death action of missing an aortic dissection diagnosis. After 10 days of trial and five hours of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous defense verdict.

News

13 Lightfoot Attorneys Selected as ‘Litigation Stars’ in 2019 Edition of Benchmark Litigation

Lightfoot Secures Medical Malpractice Defense Verdict After Two-Week Trial in Talladega County

Lightfoot Secures Medical Malpractice Defense Verdict on Behalf of Alabama Physician

Lightfoot Secures Defense Win for Obstetrician/Gynecologist in Medical Malpractice Case

Lightfoot Obtains Favorable Defense Verdict in Wrongful Death Case

13 Lightfoot Attorneys Recognized as ‘Litigation Stars’ in 2018 Edition of Benchmark Litigation

Jury Returns a Defense Verdict for Lightfoot’s Client in a Medical Malpractice Case

Lessons Learned

On Mildred's Manners

I’d been practicing law for a little more than two years. It was 1991. I was trying a case with Sam Franklin. A star witness for our side of the case was an older beautician from a small town outside of Birmingham.

I called her to the stand. Mildred was her first name. Such a sweet, compelling witness. She smiled at me, the judge and the jury as she told her story. I asked her the key questions and smiled to myself as we put an end to the other side’s case. My opposition stood to start his cross examination. As he started his questions, this sweet, compelling witness morphed from blue hair sweetness to blue steel anger. She really gave the opposition a piece of her mind. As this played out, I smiled to myself.

My smile got turned upside down when the jury knocked on the door and returned a verdict against our side. After talking to the jury about how in the world they could rule against the facts shared by Mildred, multiple jurors said something like this, “We just didn’t like that lady. She was so nice to you when you asked your questions, but she was so mean to that other lawyer.”

The lesson from 1991: Witnesses need to be neutral, treating every lawyer with equal respect. I’ve been telling witnesses, since this case, about Mildred. It wasn’t Mildred’s fault. It was that young lawyer who prepared her for courtroom testimony. By the way, we tried this case a second time. Mildred smiled at everyone, which left our client smiling at the end.