R. Christopher Gilreath

Member

Christopher Gilreath co-leads the personal injury practice group at Stranch, Jennings & Garvey. He handles catastrophic injury and death cases, including trucking wrecks, medical malpractice, defective products and other serious injury situations. He has also represented individuals in select multi-jurisdiction cases.

Mr. Gilreath has served as lead or co-counsel in numerous cases, including:

• Knowles et al v. State of Tennessee. Represented the family of John Snapp, killed during a collision with a tractor operated by the State of Tennessee, achieving a maximum verdict despite his advanced age;
• Jordan Long v. Shelby Co. Healthcare Corp. Served as co-counsel in a birth trauma medical malpractice case for a child suffering cerebral palsy during delivery, securing a verdict of $33.5 million;
• Christopher Myles v. Franklin Limestone. Represented an employee with catastrophic injuries, including paraplegia, after a mine cave-in, securing maximum compensation that included home conversion, vehicle alteration and lifetime medical care;
• FedEx Ground Package System. Represented employee delivery drivers across Tennessee misclassified as independent contractors, securing state-wide reclassification and compensation;
• Jeannie Townsend et al v. Flowmaster et al. Represented multiple families in catastrophic injury and death cases against event organizers when a drag race car sped into a crowd during an outdoor festival, forcing changes to how events are held;
• Pantuso v. Wright Medical Technology. Served as co-counsel for a victim of a defective hip implant from Utah in a lead case that established the law in Tennessee for choice of venue for Wright Medical titanium hip implant failures nationwide, leading to multi-state coordinated litigation that secured compensation for hundreds of injured victims;
• Sarah Espinoza v. Lyft, Inc. Served as co-counsel in a catastrophic injury case involving a young flight attendant injured during a Lyft ride, which included enhanced damages for increased risk of miscarriage during anticipated future pregnancies.

A 1994 graduate of Rhodes College, Mr. Gilreath worked on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee in Washington, D.C., before receiving his J.D. in 1997 from Cumberland School of Law, with an emphasis on jury litigation and multi-jurisdictional procedure. While at Rhodes, he earned the 1994 Algernon Sydney-Sullivan Award for outstanding contribution to the college. At Cumberland Law School, he earned the American Jurisprudence Award for Complex Litigation and served on the Cumberland Honor Court.  

A second-generation trial lawyer, Mr. Gilreath grew up watching his father, Sidney Gilreath, represent injured victims in serious cases. In 2005, Mr. Gilreath was named managing attorney of the Memphis office of Gilreath & Associates, representing clients state-wide. He joined Stranch, Jennings & Garvey in early 2024.

In addition to his legal career, Mr. Gilreath is a longtime supporter of Tennessee’s civil justice system. After serving as a Knox County Election Commissioner and helping oversee impartial voting systems, he has litigated numerous election dispute cases and regularly serves as counsel in election protection efforts in battleground states during presidential election cycles. He was elected Chair of the American Association for Justice New Lawyers’ Division, served on the association’s Board of Governors and Executive Committee, and continues to mentor young lawyers.

Mr. Gilreath lives in Memphis and enjoys live music, being active, cooking and traveling. He continues to help his two sons with school, career and sports activities and decisions, and mentors adults facing difficult life circumstances.

Practice Areas

• Personal Injury
  • Car Crashes
  • Catastrophic Injury
  • Defective Medical Products
  • Trucking Wrecks

Education

Bar Admissions

Experience

Professional Honors & Activities

Presentations and Published Works

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