JAMES DARTLIN “DART” MEADOWS is a trial lawyer with 28 years of experience of successfully resolving a wide variety of disputes. He has tried dozens of cases in state and federal court in Georgia, as well and in other states. His practice includes business litigation, product liability, healthcare and real estate litigation. Dart is named to The Best Lawyers in America, Georgia's list of "Super Lawyers" and has received the highest AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Dart practiced with Powell, Goldstein's litigation department from 1983 until February 1992 when Meadows, Ichter and Bowers was formed. Meadows, Ichter & Bowers merged with Balch & Bingham LLP on June 1, 2003.

Dart has developed a national practice representing woodworking machinery manufacturers, distributors and dealers in product liability litigation throughout the United States. He has served as national counsel for three of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of industrial woodworking machinery. He has served as co-chair of the Hand and Power Tool Product Liability Section of the DRI, chair of the Product Liability Section of the State Bar of Georgia and is currently Chair of the Product Liability Committee of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association.  Dart regularly speaks to industry groups about product liability prevention and defense issues.

Dart was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Peachtree Christian Hospice and served on the board of the Atlanta City Unit of the American Cancer Society. Dart was President of the Peach State Chapter of the West Virginia University Alumni Association. He founded the "Party with a Purpose", one of the American Cancer Society's largest single event fundraisers in Atlanta. Dart was the number one tennis player on the West Virginia University Tennis Team from 1975-79 and set a number of records while at WVU. As a nationally ranked junior tennis player in West Virginia, Dart won 13 state championships in singles and doubles. He is married with five children and lives in Atlanta.

Representative Trials

• • Baker v. Rome Automation & Fabrication, Inc.; Superior Court of Floyd County; Civil Action No. 87-CV-2893-1; Intellectual property dispute
  • Bass v. Smyrna Hospital; Superior Court of Cobb County; medical malpractice/wrongful death 
  • Battaglia v. Minick; Superior Court of DeKalb County; Case No. 92C6739; writ of possession, conversion, attorneys’ fees and punitive damages claim involving 1961 Aston Martin car.
  • Carney v. Smith; Superior Court of Dekalb County; Plaintiff’s personal injury action.
  • Coldwell Banker v. Nodvin; United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia; Case No. C83-1212A; real estate commission, fraud, RICO
  • Cook v. Dunn; Fulton Superior Court; Civil Action No. 99-CV-15536; breach of real estate contract
  • Evans v. State Farm; Superior Court of Gwinnett County; Defense of action for bad faith penalties, attorneys’ fees and punitive damages involving insurance contract.
  • Gilbertson; State Court of Fulton County; Plaintiff’s personal injury case
  • Golf Club of Georgia v. Lee; Superior Court of Fulton County; Case No. E71824; Violation of undisturbed buffer easement, trespass and conversion.
  • Herron v. First Bulloch Bank & Trust Co.; Superior Court of Fulton County; Case No. 12199; Defense of action for wrongful dishonor and conversion.
  • Hyde v. Northside Hospital; Superior Court of Fulton County; Georgia Court of Appeals No. A94A1611; Defense of urology medical malpractice action involving Peyronie’s Disease.
  • Johnson v. Sanders; State Court of Fayette County; Plaintiff’s personal injury action.
  • Land Line Dispute; Superior Court of Paulding County; Defense of action to resolve land line dispute.
  • Maki v. Everett; Superior Court of Cobb County; Defense of wrongful death action involving motorcycle striking catering truck stalled on I-285
  • Mathis v. State Farm; State Court of DeKalb County; Defense of no-fault action for bad faith penalties, attorneys’ fees and punitive damages.
  • Martin v. Moon; Superior Court of Gwinnett County; Defense of wrongful death action.
  • Pritchett v. Delta Airlines; Superior Court of Fulton County; Case No. D73944; Defense of overhead bin incident in which plaintiff alleged closed head brain injury.
  • Salo v. Steele; Superior Court of Fulton County; Civil Action No. 99-CV-10858; Action for breach of restrictive covenant, conversion and trespass.
  • Silva v. Louis & Co.; Superior Court of San Diego County, California; Defense of product liability action involving hand injury.
  • SCM V. CDM; U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Scranton Division; Case No. 01-CV-1984; Action for monies owed from sale of commercial woodworking router.
  • Smith v. Lanier; Fulton Superior Court; Case No. C89064; Defense of personal injury claim arising from car wreck.
  • Soble v. Gorin; Probate Court of DeKalb County; Years support claim.
  • Stephens v. State Farm; U.S. District Court, Northern District Georgia, Atlanta Division; No. 03-03094, 2004 U.S. Lexis 30853; Defense of action for bad faith penalties, attorneys’ fees and punitive damages.
  • Weinig v. TBM; Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; Case No. 01087; Contract/indemnity action against employer arising out of product liability suit.
  • Williams v. Stringer; Superior Court of Cobb County; Action for breach of contract and fraud involving termite damages against pest control company.
  • Raimondo Terrasi and Alisa Terrasi v. Seacoast Machinery Corp., et al.; Middlesex Superior Court (Boston, MA); Civil Action No. 01-0641; Defense of product liability suit involving hand amputation.

  REPRESENTATIVE REPORTED DECISIONS

  • A.L. Williams & Associates v. Stelk; 984 F.2d 391, (N.D. Ga 1990); Defense of tortious interference action relating to multi-level marketing of term life insurance.
  • Amason, Inc. v. Metromont Materials Corp.; 185 Ga. App. 509, 364 S.E.2d 637, (1988); Materialmen’s lien suit.
  • Casgar v. Citizens & Southern Nat’l Bank; 188 Ga. App. 234, 372 S.E.2d 815, (1988); Action on note and guarantee; defense of fraud counterclaim.
  • Cohen v. William Goldberg & Co.; 207 Ga. App. 174, 428 S.E.2d 117, (1993); 219 Ga. App. 628, 466 S.E.2d 872, (1995); Complex commercial litigation involving failed merger of three companies. Case lasted over 13 years.
  • Coldwell Banker Commercial Group, Inc. v. Nodvin; 598 F. Supp. 853, (N.D. Ga. 1984).  Action for real estate brokerage commission and for attorneys’ fees.
  • Hospital Authority of Fulton County v. Litterilla; 272 Ga. 34, 413 S.E.2d 718, (1992).  Defense of obstetrical malpractice action involving cerebral palsy.
  • Hyde v. Fulton County Hospital Authority; 215 Ga. App. 732, 452 S.E.2d 517, (1994).  Defense of urology malpractice action involving peyronic’s disease.
  • Hunter v. Emory-Adventist, Inc.; 301 Ga. App. 215, 687 S.E.2d 267, (2009).
  • Jewell v. SCMI Corp.; 1995 U.S. Dist. Lexis 9984; Defense of product liability action involving M2 Gang Ripsaw.
  • Kurc v. Herren; 196 Ga. App. 331, 396 S.E.2d 62 (1990); Landlord-tenant action for conversion.
  • Lockton Insurance Companies, Inc. et al v. APAC-Southeast, Inc., et al.; 297 Ga. App. 553, 677 S.E.2d 734, (2009).
  • Reliance Insurance Company of Illinois, Inc. v. Richfield Hospitality Services, Inc.; 92 F. Supp.2d 329 (N.D. Ga. 2000); Indemnification action.
  • RJV Corp. v. SuperValu, Inc.; 223 Ga. App. 585, 478 S.E.2d 592 (1996); Action for overages owed under office lease.
  • Rosario v. SCM Group USA, Inc.; 2003 U.S. Dist. Lexis 12250; Defense of product liability action involving industrial woodworking machine.
  • SCM Group, USA, Inc. v. Custom Designs & Manufacturing Co., Inc.; 89 Fed. Appx 779, (2004); Uniform Commercial Code case involving sale of industrial woodworking machine and buyer’s refusal to pay alleging machine did not operate properly.
  • Turner v. City of Atlanta; 257 Ga. 306, 357 S.E.2d 802 (1987); Challenge to downzoning of improved commercial property done without individual notice.
  • Wilson v. State Farm; 239 Ga. App. 168, 520 S.E.2d 917 (1997); Defense of insurance company in action for benefits, bad faith penalties and attorneys’ fees.
  • Jim Bonem v. The Golf Club of Georgia; 591 S.E.2d 462, 264 Ga. App. 573 (2003); Action to collect amounts owed on a promissory note for the purchase of a nonrefundable golf club membership.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• • State Bar of Georgia, Chair, Products Liability Section
  • Georgia Defense Lawers Association; Chair, Product Liability Committee; Member, Board of Directors
  • American Bar Association
  • Atlanta Bar Association
  • West Virginia State Bar
  • Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC)
  • USTA Georgia Adult, Tournament Committee
  • Cherokee Town Club, Social Committee
  • Lawyers Club of Atlanta
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Listed in Super Lawyers, 2004 - 2010
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2007-Present

  

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