David Lail’s practice focuses on helping people that have experienced a life-changing event or crisis and found themselves with a real fight on their hands – a fight that many times involves powerful and connected interests on the other side. Regardless of the opposition, his approach remains the same – build the strongest case possible for trial and let the results speak for themselves.
Since he began practicing law in 2011, Lail has helped achieve over $181 million on behalf of injured clients – including over $54 million in jury verdicts and more than $60 million for victims of drunk driving.
Lail devotes much of his practice representing drunk driving victims in Dram Shop Litigation and has written extensively on this niche practice area. Lail is a principal author of the book, “South Carolina Dram Shop Litigation: A Practice Guide” and is a contributing co-author of, “South Carolina Damages, Second Edition, Dram Shop Liability”, both published by the South Carolina Bar. In addition, Lail is co-author of, “Dram Shop Discovery”, published the American Association for Justice’s (AAJ) Trial Magazine.
Lail also speaks regularly on representing victims and has conducted numerous trainings, presentations, and CLEs on Dram Shop Litigation for law enforcement agencies, the South Carolina Bar, The Charleston School of Law, the South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ), The National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), and Strafford Publications. Lail was also interviewed as part of the South Carolina Business Review’s report, “Dram Shop Risk on the Rise in SC”. A recording of the interview can be heard here. Lail has also presented courses on Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Injury Cases, Insurance Bad Faith, Jury Trial Techniques, Depositions Tactics, and Mediation Practices.
As a lawyer advocate for victims, Lail is a Board Member of MADD South Carolina, a member of The National Crime Victim Bar Association, The National Organization for Victim Assistance (VOCA), The National Alliance of Victims’ Rights Attorneys & Advocates (NAVRA) and he has undergone victim advocacy training through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC).
Lail is a member of The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 and South Carolina Super Lawyers. Lail is also a Board Member of the South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ), a member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), and he is also licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia.
David has learned that individuals who have been injured or harmed often feel powerless and faced with problems that seem insurmountable. In response, he works to solve those problems and provide the counsel needed to help his clients get their lives back on track with the remedy they deserve. David has recovered significant compensation for clients in a variety of cases including: dram shop actions, motor vehicle collisions, road defects, bad faith insurance practices, product defects, child abuse at school, nursing home negligence and abuse, medical malpractice, dog bites, and negligence by retail stores, hotels, homeowners, and school districts for premises injuries, among others.
David received a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Kentucky, an M.B.A. from The Citadel, highest honors, and a J.D., cum laude, from the Charleston School of Law where he was an Associate Articles Editor of the Charleston Law Review, a member of the Charleston School of Law Moot Court Board, and a Teaching Fellow in the Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing Department. During his legal study, David received CALI Awards for the highest law school grade in: Torts, Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing I & II, and Pleadings & Practice.
David lives in Charleston with his wife, Lauren, and their two children, Evie and Hugh.
