Debbie Tarkington
Debbie started her legal career as an associate with Greer, Klosik, Daugherty & Swank, where she practiced from 1994-1999. She handled over 100 files, a combination of plaintiff’s personal injury and insurance defense litigation. She tried numerous cases as lead counsel on all of her plaintiff’s personal injury litigation. She was also first and second chair on criminal defense, insurance defense, plaintiff’s products liability, and medical malpractice litigation. Debbie then practiced at Hammond, Carter and Watson – staff counsel for Nationwide Insurance Company from 1999-2004. Here, she handled complex litigation for Nationwide, which included both auto and commercial cases. She was lead counsel on all of her cases through settlement or trial.
Debbie moved over to the Law Office of James C. McLaughlin – staff counsel to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company – from 2004 – 2016. Here she was the lead litigation attorney and she worked on only the most complex medical/auto and commercial litigation cases. Debbie handled trial work and litigation in the areas of premises liability, automobile/truck accident cases, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and construction defect. In the area of premises liability, Debbie’s experience includes slip/trip and fall, negligent security, and Dram Shop Act. Debbie was designated counsel for several restaurants, hotels/motels, and construction companies. Other clients included apartment complexes, grocery stores, retail stores, janitorial companies, management companies, and shopping centers. Debbie was also the designated counsel for the fraud investigation unit at Liberty Mutual. She has extensive trial experience in both auto and commercial litigation, having tried numerous cases all over Georgia.
Education
- Centre College, BA Government, 1989
- Honors
- Activities
- Thomas M. Cooley Law School, JD, cum laude 1994
- Honor Court Member
- Copy Editor, The Pillar
- Book Award: Criminal Procedure
- Book Award: Probate
- Research Assistant – Marjorie Russell – Medical Treatment In Prisons
Admitted to Practice
- State/Superior Court of Georgia 1994
- Georgia Court of Appeals 1994
- Supreme Court of Georgia 2009
- Federal Court – Northern District of Georgia
Professional or Trade Affiliations
- State Bar of Georgia
- GAWL Georgia Association of Women Lawyers
- Cherokee County Bar Association