D. Leon Ashford
Proven VerdictsSimilar personal injury attorneys in Birmingham
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.
About D. Leon Ashford
As a young man, Leon Ashford had no intention of becoming an attorney. A first-generation college student, he was thrilled to work as a student trainer at the University of Alabama, where he was lettered by the legendary Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. His plan was to become a trainer for the New Orleans Saints. But Coach Bryant saw something different in him, and encouraged him to go to law school.
From the moment Leon stepped into the courtroom for his first case, he knew he would never look back. His first professional experience was with the Attorney General's office, handling high-stakes criminal investigations. From there, he joined a plaintiff's firm, which introduced him to his calling: fighting for individuals and families dealing with life-changing injuries.
Over the decades, he has built a reputation as a relentless advocate, taking on powerful corporations and institutions to secure justice. He handles complex cases, from catastrophic injuries to medical malpractice, and has spent the last 45 years at Hare Wynn, where he has served as managing partner since 1996. Under his leadership, the firm has achieved record-breaking multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements, from single-event trials to class-action lawsuits.
Proven verdicts and settlements
A class action filed in 2002 on behalf of roughly 400,000 residents across six north Alabama counties ended in a court-approved $300 million cleanup settlement requiring 3M and co-defendants to remediate PFAS contamination throughout the Tennessee River watershed.
The widow of Derric Rush, a church music minister killed in a 2009 Birmingham crash by an off-duty police officer, won a default judgment against Club Volcano for serving the officer while intoxicated, after a trial on damages in 2013. The same judgment included $3.25 million against the officer, James Kendrick. The Alabama Supreme Court voided the club's judgment in 2014 because service by publication had not been shown to be justified.
A Houston County, Alabama jury awarded $6 million on September 17, 2024, to the family of Christa Anne Davis, 71, of Headland, who died of sepsis in September 2017 after gallbladder surgery. The family said a surgeon at the practice, filling in for her own surgeon, sent her home without checking her vital signs. The five-day trial was reported as the largest medical malpractice verdict in Houston County history.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.
Practice areas
Education
Bar admissions & credentials
Other attorneys at Hare Wynn Newell & Newton
View firm →
Proven verdicts and settlements from other Birmingham firms
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.