Birmingham Firm Secures $15M Verdict

A jury in DCH Hospital's medical malpractice trial awarded a $15 million verdict to the family of a man who died after receiving inadequate care. The case concluded recently, capping a trial that the firm's founder, Gerald Clark Brooks Jr., described as preventable. Several other defendants in the suit settled out of court before the jury reached its decision.

Brooks founded Serious Injury Law Firm in 2013 alongside Chuck James II. The firm specializes in personal injury law and maintains offices in Birmingham and Montgomery. It also operates two locations in Georgia. Brooks said he started the practice to create a Black-owned firm that could provide high-quality legal services while acting as a training ground for minority attorneys.

The plaintiff was a Black man in his 30s who presented to DCH Hospital with sharp chest pains and an inability to feel his legs. According to the lawsuit, the patient was tested for drugs despite showing classic symptoms of aortic dissection. He was not given pain medication and died. Brooks noted that the delay in treatment led to the amputation of the man's legs and hips before his death.

Brooks recalled taking the deposition of an emergency room nurse during the case. She reported that the patient told a doctor, 'They act like they don't believe me.' Brooks said the patient was understandably upset after waiting several hours for a doctor to listen to him. The mother of the deceased initially did not want to go through a trial, but she decided to proceed after promising her son she would fight for him.

Brooks began his legal career in engineering at the University of Alabama before switching to law. He graduated with his law degree in 2002. He worked for a Birmingham insurance defense firm early in his career, which he said taught him how to evaluate cases systematically. He later moved to the plaintiff's side of the bar, focusing on wrongful death, medical malpractice, and severe injury cases.

Brooks grew up in Livingston, Alabama, in what he called the poorest region of the state. The death of his father in a car accident during his middle school years also shaped his approach to advocacy. He said loss made him more empathetic to families going through similar tragedies. The firm gives away scholarships and hosts essay contests for students to support the next generation of professionals.

The firm's website, seriouslawyers.com, lists their contact information and case results. Brooks said he views the legal profession as a service role rather than a grand title. He emphasized that the decision to settle or go to trial rests with the client, based on the specific facts of each case.