Thomas P. Willingham

Thomas “Tom” Willingham was the founding partner of Law Offices of Thomas P. Willingham, P.C., based in Birmingham, Alabama, before returning to his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, to join Beasley Allen in 2021. Since 1992, Tom has exclusively represented victims, many of whom have been catastrophically injured or killed in automobile accidents because of a defectively designed automobile.

Tom is a highly respected attorney with the AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest for legal ability and ethics. Since 2014, he has been consistently named to the Super Lawyers list, covering Alabama, Georgia, and the Mid-South Region. In 2020, he was among the Top 50 Super Lawyers in Alabama and recognized in the top Personal Injury Products Plaintiff category for the Mid-South. Additionally, he has been included in editions of The Best Lawyers in America® for Product Liability, earning a “Lawyer of the Year Award” in the 2026 edition, and was named the 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” for Plaintiffs Product Liability Litigation in Birmingham, Alabama.

His law career began in 1987 as a defense attorney for car manufacturers. However, after seeing the severe impact of their negligence on victims, he switched to representing those seriously injured or wrongfully killed. Tom’s defense attorney background gives him a unique edge in handling complex product liability cases. He has tackled nearly every type of automotive defect, including issues with vehicle stability, electronic stability control, seatbelts, airbags, fuel tanks, and more. He has secured over $150 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients, litigating against major car manufacturers like General Motors, Ford, Toyota, and Honda. One of Tom’s standout cases was leading the charge in Brandi Owens v. General Motors. This case uncovered that defective Takata airbags were not just in Honda vehicles, as previously claimed, but in almost every car with a Takata airbag installed before 2015. This discovery triggered the largest automotive recall in history.

He serves on the Board of the Attorneys Information Exchange Group, a national network of lawyers who share information and resources to tackle automotive defect cases. He is also a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and the Alabama and Georgia Bar Associations.

Tom, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, has two grown children. His son, Dr. John Willingham, is a Pediatrician at Vanderbilt University Children’s Hospital and Clinic, and his daughter Gracie is an Attorney practicing law in New York City. In his free time, Tom enjoys spending time with his children outdoors and attending University of Alabama Football games.

Education

Tom earned his B.A. from Mercer University in 1984 and received his law degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in 1987.

Licenses

• Alabama (1987)
• Georgia (2009)

Beasley Allen lawyers live by our creed of “helping those who need it most”. Our law firm has helped thousands of clients get the justice they desperately needed and deserved.