M. Christopher Eagan

His practice includes work on a broad variety of litigation matters, focusing on medical malpractice defense, healthcare law, professional licensing and credentialing, Federal and State regulatory issues for hospitals and hospital risk management issues.

Professional Recognition

•Serves as an Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates
•Listed in Best Lawyers in America for Medical Malpractice - Defendants.
•Named “Birmingham Best Lawyers - 2024 Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants
•Named “Birmingham Best Lawyers - 2022 Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants
•Named a 'Litigation Star' in Benchmark Litigation
•Maintains an AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell
•2008 Birmingham Legal Secretaries Association’s Lawyer of the Year
•While attending law school at Cumberland School of Law, Chris served on the Cumberland Law Review and received the Book Award in Civil Procedure
•Served as Chair of the Medical Liaison Committee for the Birmingham Bar Association

Highlights

•Chris has been practicing for 37 years and he has tried numerous complex cases to a jury.
•Prevailed in an appeal before the Alabama Supreme Court, in favor of the Defendant OBGYN and her practice group following a week-long trial in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County. On appeal, the Plaintiffs argued they were entitled to a new trial because the trial court erred by denying Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment on causation, erred in its charge to the jury and the manner in which it framed to issues to be considered by the jury, and erred in prohibiting the Plaintiffs from employing Reptile Theory tactics.
•Obtained a defense verdict for a an OBGYN in a 6 day jury trial alleging negligence during the performance of diagnostic laparoscopy procedure, resulting a rectal perforation to the patient.
•Obtained a defense verdict for a defendant gynecologic oncologist in a case alleging negligent failure to diagnose and treat post-operative bleeding and hemorrhagic shock, resulting in the death of a patient who underwent a robotic and laparoscopic procedure for suspected ovarian cancer.
•Obtained a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court of Alabama affirming the trial court’s granting of summary judgment in favor of their clients in a case involving allegations of harm caused by the long-term use of a medication.
•Obtained a defense verdict for a general surgeon and surgical group in a wrongful death case involving an intra-abdominal abscess resulting in septic shock in Calhoun County.
•Obtained a defense verdict for an internist in a wrongful death case involving an allegation that the internist failed to diagnose an esophageal perforation following gastrointestinal surgery.
•Obtained a defense verdict for an emergency room physician in a wrongful death case involving complications due to a bowel obstruction.
•Obtained a defense judgment following a three day arbitration of a nursing home malpractice case involving the death of a resident alleged to have resulted from a medication error and the failure to appropriately treat the resident’s condition and monitor the resident’s hydration status.
•Secured a Judgment as a Matter of Law after a week long trial for a hospital and three ICU nurses in a case involving an internally dislodged tracheostomy tube that resulted in a severe brain injury to the patient.
•Secured a Summary Judgment for a urologist in connection with a claim the urologist violated the standard of care with respect to performing an Acucise endopyelotomy.
•Secured a Summary Judgment for a hospital in connection with a claim concerning a patient fall.
•Secured a Summary Judgment on behalf of a hospital and an operating room nurse where the plaintiff alleged the operating room nurse, along with other defendants, failed to properly position plaintiff during a hysterectomy causing the plaintiff to develop a brachial plexus injury.
•Secured a Summary Judgment for a pediatrician in a wrongful death case where the plaintiff claimed she failed to timely and appropriately diagnose sepsis.
•Secured a Summary Judgment for a neurologist and an internist where the plaintiff claimed the physicians failed to diagnose and properly treat temporal arteritis.
•Secured a Summary Judgment for a family practitioner where the plaintiff alleged a failure to timely and appropriately address an abnormal PSA.
•Obtained a defense verdict in medical malpractice case involving obstetrical complication resulting in significant neurologic injury to newborn.
•Obtained a defense verdict in medical malpractice case against hospital involving admitted violation of the standard of care where case was defended solely on causation issues.
•Presented paper at the Annual Scientific Meeting and post-graduate course program for the Southeastern Surgical Congress in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 11-15, 2005, regarding medical malpractice issues and bariatric surgery.
•Ex parte Nail, 111 So. 3d 125 (Ala. 2012).
•Glenda Wright, as Mother and Next Friend of Donna Wright v. Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center Board, d/b/a Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center, Alabama Supreme Court No. 1100777.
•Brookwood Medical Center v. Lindstrom, 763 So. 2d 951 (Ala. 2000).
•Hilburn v. Ellis, 688 So. 2d 236 (Ala. 1997).
•Ex parte Northport Health Service, Inc., 682 So. 2d 52 (Ala. 1996) (Amicus).
•Keel v. Banach, 624 So. 2d 1022 (Ala. 1993).
•Levesque v. Regional Medical Center Board, 612 So. 2d 445 (Ala. 1993).
•Independent Fire Ins. Co. v. Mutual Assur. Inc., 553 So. 2d 115 (Ala. 1989).
•Long v. Hodges, 639 So. 2d 238 (Ala. 1989).
•Raise v. Wood, 540 So. 2d 643 (Ala. 1988) (Amicus).

Presentations and Publications

•Anticipating and Minimizing Hearsay Objections, a 2-Day Practical Course on Advanced Civil Litigation Skills in Alabama held at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham-Wynfrey Hotel, December 17, 2015 (presentation)
•Medicare Set Asides and Liens 101, NBI Seminar “Personal Injury Claims: The Insurance Defense Perspective,” December 13, 2013 (presentation)
•Confidentiality of Medical Records, Presentation, November 2, 2012 (presentation)
•Direct Examination, Cumberland School of Law, October 18, 2012 (presentation)
•Applying the Rules of Evidence: What Every Attorney Needs to Know, National Business Institute Seminar, August 23, 2012 (presentation)
•The Discovery Process in a Medical Practice: Subpoenas, Depositions, and Court Appearances, presented to the Medical Management Association (MGMA) of Birmingham, June 21, 2012 (presentation)
•Dental Malpractice, The Standard of Care and Documentation: Does SOC = D?, UAB School of Dentistry Alumni Weekend, February 2 - 5, 2012 (presentation)
•Eagan, Walston & Starnes - Medicare Reporting Requirements and the MSPS (Medicare Secondary Payer Statute): Where DO We Go From Here?” The Alabama Self-Insurer, Winter 2010 (publication)
•“Bariatric Surgery: Malpractice Risks and Risk Management Guidelines,” The American Surgeon, May 2005, Vol. 71. p. 369 (publication)
•Medical Malpractice Guide to Misdiagnosis Cases, National Business Institute Seminar, September 22, 2011 (presentation)
•New Reporting Requirements under the Medicare Secondary Payer Statute, IADC Medical Defense and Health Law and Legislative, Judicial and Government Affairs Committees, IADC Webinar, July 2009 (presentation)

News & Insights

•Benchmark Litigation 2026 Ranks Starnes Davis Florie as a Highly Recommended Litigation Firm
•35 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2026
•Starnes Davis Florie Ranked as a Highly Recommended Litigation Firm in the 2025 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
•33 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2025
•Starnes Davis Florie Ranked as a “Highly Recommended Litigation Firm” in the 2024 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
•Starnes Attorneys Prevail in an Appeal Before the Alabama Supreme Court
•SDF’s Davis, Eagan & Ezelle Named Best Lawyers “2024 Lawyer of the Year”
•30 Starnes Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2024
•SDF’s Eagan, Newton, Huntley, and Jones Obtain Favorable Ruling from Alabama Supreme Court
•Starnes Davis Florie Highly Ranked in Benchmark Litigation 2023
•Eagan, Newton & Jones Secure Defense Verdict After a 6-Day Med Mal Trial
•30 SDF ATTORNEYS LISTED IN BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA 2023
•SDF Attorneys White & Eagan Obtain Defense Verdict in 7-Day Trial
•STARNES RANKED AS A “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FIRM” IN THE 2022 EDITION OF BENCHMARK LITIGATION
•TONY DAVIS & CHRIS EAGAN NAMED BEST LAWYERS “2022 LAWYER OF THE YEAR”
•29 SDF ATTORNEYS LISTED IN BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA 2022
•Starnes Ranked as a “Highly Recommended Firm” in the 2021 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
•Twenty-Six SDF Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2021
•Chamberlain, Eagan & Hines Publish Article in IADC’s Medical Defense & Health Law Newsletter
•Chris Eagan, Sybil Newton, and Sarah Chamberlain Obtain Favorable Ruling from the Supreme Court of Alabama

Fun Facts

• Chris is married to a trial lawyer.

• He is the proud father of five children, ranging in ages from 15-37 and he has two grandchildren.

• He loves golf, fishing and gardening but most of all, he enjoys spending time with his large family and 2 wonderful dogs.