Whit Drake

Owner and Attorney

Recently voted by his peers as a top Birmingham personal injury attorney in the Birmingham Magazine’s March 2019 edition, Whit Drake strives to provide his clients with the best legal representation possible. With over $1 Billion in settlements and recoveries to his name, including a significant role as lead counsel in the largest wrongful death settlement in Alabama’s history, Mr. Drake has proven his dedication to achieving favorable outcomes for his clients. He has also authored several publications for The Alabama Lawyer, the Alabama Bar Association’s quarterly publication. Born in Decatur, Alabama, Whit Drake graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1989. He was subsequently hired by a prestigious Birmingham Personal Injury Law Firm, and for the past 29 years, he has demonstrated his expertise as an accident and injury attorney, serving clients across the State of Alabama. In 1998, Whit Drake founded Drake Injury Lawyers, building upon his extensive experience and knowledge.

The legal profession runs deep in Mr. Drake’s family, with a total of 12 lawyers spanning generations, including esteemed judges and even a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tom Drake. Christine Mckoy Drake, Mr. Drake’s mother, also made her mark as an attorney while serving on the Alabama State Board of Education. Embracing the tradition of personal injury lawyers within his family, Mr. Drake continues to champion the rights of victims in personal injury cases throughout Alabama.

Practice Areas

• Personal Injury
• Wrongful Death
• Catastrophic Injury
• Motor Vehicle Accidents
• Work Place Accidents
• Product Liability
• Premises Liability
• Nursing Home Abuse
• Industrial Accidents
• Funeral Home Negligence
• Medical Malpractice

Published Works

• Employer’s Subrogation: Does Anyone Really Understand It?, The Alabama Lawyer, November, 2007
• Effective Case Resolution, The Alabama Lawyer, July, 2013

Representative Cases

Selected Verdicts and Settlements

• $15 Million Dollar Verdict in Auto Crash in Chilton County
• $5 Million Dollar Verdict in Wrongful Death Case in Etowah County
• $2.2 Million Dollar Verdict for Industrial Accident in Limestone County
• $65 Million Dollar Settlement in Workplace Accident Involving Multiple Claimants
• $2.5 Million Dollar Verdict for Arm Amputation Caused by Medical Malpractice
• $3 Million Settlement for Car Accident for Cullman Clients
• $1 Million Settlement for Gadsden Funeral Home Negligence
• $700,000 Verdict For Cullman Farmer
• $1.2 Million Verdict for Hospital Negligence / Wrongful Death in Jefferson County
• $2.75 Settlement In Calhoun County
• $1.2 Million Dollar Verdict for Wrongful Death at Local Hospital
• $350,000 Verdict for Car Accident
• $400,000 Verdict for On-the-Job Finger Amputation

Reported and Published Cases

• Hill v. General Motors (Wrongful Death), Southern Reporter (1997)
• Haddock V. Multivac (hand crush) Southern Reporter (1996)
• Oliver v. Medical Center East, Southern Reporter (2001)
• Trippe v. Baptist Medical Center (Wrongful Death), Southern Reporter (1993)
• Whisenant v. Gulf States Steel, (hand amputation in machine) Southern Reporter (1996)
• Young v. Huntsville Hospital, Southern Reporter (1993)
• Adams v. Douglas Battery, Inc. (Wrongful Death), Southern Reporter (2006)

Classes and Seminars

• “Preparing The Nursing Home Case – Plaintiffs Perspective”, 1999“
• Retaliatory Discharge”, 1998 Workers’ Compensation Seminar, Cumberland Law School 1997
• “On-the-Job Injuries and Negligent Third Parties” Alabama 1996
• “Medical Malpractice Litigation- Plaintiff’s Perspective”, 1999
• “Employer’s Subrogation in Third Party Cases: Does Anyone Really Understand It?,” The Alabama Lawyer, 2007
• “Effective Cross-Examination of Experts at Trial”, AIM Seminar, 2008
• “Using Evidence at Trial”, Alabama Bar Institute Seminar, 2009
• “Personal Injury Practice: How To Do It Right!”, AIM Seminar 2015
• “Car Accident Claims 101”, Alabama Young Lawyers Section 2015

Past Employment Positions

• Emord & Vines, Partner, 1989 – 1998