Michael J. Miller

Michael J. Miller grew up in Douglas County, Georgia, where he graduated from Alexander High School in 1990. Subsequently, Mike attended the University of West Georgia , where he was active on campus; serving as a Student Government Senator, SGA Judicial Co-Chairman, Inter-fraternity Council President, and President of the Order of Omega.  During his tenure at the University of West Georgia , Mike also gained extensive legislative experience while interning with several committees for the Georgia House of Representatives as well as serving as an aide to former State Senator Perry McGuire. Without question, Mr. Miller is well acquainted with the people, and politics of the West Georgia Area

In addition to his familiarity to the West Georgia Area and his experience as a criminal defense lawyer, Mike has also developed extensive knowledge and experience in personal injury and insurance law over the past several years.  Mike received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama .  While in law school, Mike studied both insurance law and criminal practice, including classes in the law of damages, the law of torts, worker's compensation law, as well as criminal law, criminal procedure.  Mike also performed well in applied classes concentrating on litigation and negotiation giving him a concentration in litigation. Mike was also very active in Cumberland 's nationally renowned Trial Advocacy Program.  In addition to his course work, Mike also gained extensive knowledge of DUI law during his research and assistance in writing a comprehensive treatise on Municipal Court, and DUI Law for Judge T. Brad Bishop. As a law student, Mike's legal career began in the office of the Douglas County District Attorney, David McDade, one of the most demanding, and seasoned prosecutors in the State of Georgia . Mike's opportunity to work as a prosecutor gave him indispensable courtroom experience. Mike was also involved in the appellate process; writing briefs for argument in the Georgia Court of Appeals. Mr. Miller's experience in Mr. McDade's office gave Mike many valuable tools with which he began private practice in Douglas County in November of 2000.

After prosecuting in Douglas County District Attorney's office, Mike began to work with the firm of W. O'Neal Dettmering, P.C. as a litigation associate.  In contemplation of Mr. Dettmering's appointment to the Douglas County State Court Bench, Mike began his own firm dedicated to defending individuals charged with criminal violations.  Initially, Mike's practice was dedicated to defending criminal cases in Douglas County and the surrounding areas.  However, over the years, many individuals and businesses have sought Mike's advice and representation in the areas of corporate law, administrative law, and civil litigation.  For the past several years, more and more individuals who have been injured by the negligent or willful acts of others have entrusted Mike to secure settlements and awards for them to compensate them for their damages.

Today, while Mike will occasionally defend criminal cases, he now has dedicated the majority of his practice to preserving the rights of injured parties and fighting against defendants and insurance companies and trucking companies who wrongfully deny claims or fail to reasonably compensate accident victims for their damages in negligence claims. Mike is familiar with the insurance companies' strategies to offer quick settlements, immediately deny liability, or even quickly assign a portion of the liability to the victim.  These actions and strategies leave accident victims with tough choices of whether to properly seek treatment, utilize their own insurance, or even go without transportation.  Mike's experience in the area personal injury and insurance law helps his client to receive compensation from various sources of insurance if available. Mike knows that a personal injury case should be properly developed from the moment the accident occurs, and he helps his clients manage their cases so that they can receive maximum value on their case so that they can concentrate on recovering from their injuries. 

In addition to the normal accident case, Mike also is knowledgeable and experienced in cases that involve willful and wanton behavior such as collisions caused by impaired drivers or intentional tort cases as well as the technical and often times extremely tragic trucking cases. Specifically, Mike's knowledge and experience in DUI law has enabled him to protect victims of collisions caused by impaired drivers.  Through his experience, Mike has become very knowledgeable of the issues surrounding Driving Under the Influence and the severe consequences that DUI can have on innocent victims.  In fact, Governor Barnes, looked to Mike's experience and expertise with DUI laws and teenage driver issues when he appointed Mike to the Blue Ribbon Young Drivers and DUI Study Commission for the State of Georgia .  Mike has utilized his experience and expertise to benefit the victims of DUI accidents.  Mike routinely receives settlements and verdicts that compensate his clients for their damages and punish DUI drivers for their willful disregard for the safety of others.

Even though Mike has extensive knowledge and experience with the technical, substantive, and procedural law regarding personal injury cases, he also recognizes the intangible value of knowing the communities where he practices law.  Many times, insurance companies are aware of the value of verdicts provided by juries in different areas of the state.  Insurance companies and defense lawyers generally believe that juries in the West Georgia Area are conservative and are less likely to provide large or even reasonable awards to injured parties. Based upon this belief, insurance adjusters and defense lawyers often discount the value of victim's cases and their settlement offers. Consequently, Mike stays involved in the West Georgia Area in an effort to maintain trust and familiarity with its citizens. 

By staying informed of the law and involved in the community, Mike takes a comprehensive approach to helping people who have been injured by others.  He works hard to provide compensation for his clients' injuries, but he also looks for ways to help his clients identify and utilize any and all available insurance to ensure that they can get the treatment and compensation they deserve.