Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Social Security Disability; view more
Licensed in Georgia since: 2013
Education: Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2021 - 2025 Details
D. Seth Holliday is a personal injury and Social Security Disability insurance attorney at McMahan Law Firm, LLC, in Dalton, Georgia. Mr. Holliday is a partner at the firm and represents clients throughout northwest Georgia. He has experience with personal injury actions involving car accidents, animal bites, motorcycle accidents, premises liability, truck accidents and wrongful death.
Mr. Holliday has practiced law for over 25 years in Illinois, Tennessee and Georgia. Over the course of his career, he has successfully litigated many disputes over Social Security Disability claims and has secured major sums in settlements and verdicts for personal injury clients. He is certified in Social Security Disability law by the National Board of Social Security Disability Advocacy and is a member of the National Association of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives.
Additionally, in 2016 Mr. Holliday was named one of Georgia’s “Top Rated Lawyers” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and one of the “10 Best” by the American Institute of Legal Counsel. Legal Aid of East Tennessee has also presented him with pro bono excellence award for his volunteer work.
Mr. Holliday has held leadership roles for the Chattanooga Trial Lawyers Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. He is a former teacher at Chattanooga State Technical Community College and DePaul University College of Law and has spoken at several conferences and seminars.
In 1991, Mr. Holliday graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, with a bachelor’s degree. He went on to earn his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law in 1996. He is qualified to practice law in Georgia, Illinois and Tennessee, as well as before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and several other federal courts.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Social Security DisabilityFocus areas
Animal Bites, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 70% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 30% Social Security Disability
First Admitted: 1996, Illinois
Professional Webpage: https://www.mcmahanfirm.com/injury-attorneys/d-seth-holliday...
- Chattanooga Trial Lawyers Association
- Georgia, 2013
- Tennessee Association of Justice
- Tennessee Bar Association
- American Association of Justice
- National Association of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives
- Tennessee, 2003
- Illinois, 1996
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 2015
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2009
- Supreme Court of Georgia, 2013
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, 2010
- Supreme Court of Illinois, 1996
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, 2008
- United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, 2008
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, 2004
- Supreme Court of Tennessee, 2003
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 1996
- Served on Board of Directors for Hospice of Chattanooga (Chair of Governance Committee, Secretary of Executive Committee) from 2007 to 2014
- B.A. from Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi, 1991
- Speaker – Social Security Disability, National Business Institute CLE Seminar, 2007
- Speaker – Social Security Disability, National Business Institute CLE Seminar, 2006
- Speaker – Social Security Disability: The Basics and Beyond, Tennessee Association for Justice CLE Seminar, 2008
- Speaker – Ethical Considerations for Social Security Disability Attorneys, Tennessee Bar Association CLE Seminar, 2009
- Speaker – Interplay Between Social Security Disability and Long-Term Disability, Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association CLE Seminar, 2010
- Speaker – What Trial Lawyers Need to Know About Subrogation and Offsets in Long Term Disability & Social Security, Kentucky Justice Association CLE Seminar, 2010
- Moderator – Disability Benefits Forum, Tennessee Bar Association CLE Seminar, 2011
- Author of 7 Secrets of Social Security Disability, ISBN 978-0-578-67347-9, 2020
- Author of 7 Myths of Long-Term Disability, ISBN 978-0-578-67348-6, 2020
- Have represented over 1,000 claimants at Social Security Disability Administrative Law Judge hearings from 2003 to 2019. My win rate was approximately 83%. In the majority of these cases the claimants are between the ages of 45 and 55 and will receive their benefits until retirement age (at retirement the benefits change in name only from disability benefits to retirement benefits). This means they have the potential of receiving over $100,000.00 in future benefits until retirement age and will receive Medicare, 2019
- Moderator and Speak from 2006 - 2012: 2012 Moderator-Social Security Disability and ERISA Law Sections Presentation for American Association of Justice Annual Convention 2011 Moderator-Disability Benefits Forum for Tennessee Bar Association CLE Seminar 2010 Speaker-What Trial Lawyers Need to Know about Subrogation and Offsets in LTD and SSD for Kentucky Justice Association CLE Seminar 2010 Speaker-Interplay Between SSD and LTD for Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association CLE Seminar 2009 Speaker-Ethical Considerations for SSD Attorneys for Tennessee Bar Association CLE Seminar 2008 Speaker-Social Security Disability: The Basics and Beyond for Tennessee Association for Justice CLE Seminar 2007 Speaker-Social Security Disability for National Business Institute CLE Seminar 2006 Speak-Social Security Disability for National Business Institute CLE Seminar, 2012
- Adjunct Professor at Chattanooga State Technical Community College in business law, 2008
- Adjunct Professor at DePaul University College of Law teaching trial advocacy, 1999
- Certified as a Social Security Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, 2008
- Re-certified as a Social Security Disability Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, 2018
- Re-certified as a Social Security Disability Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, 2013
- AVVO rating 10.0, AVVO Rating 10.0, AVVO, 2019
- This is the highest rating for Martindale-Hubbell peer rating which reflects a combination of achieving a Very High General Ethical Standards rating and a Legal Ability numerical rating, AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Attorney Award, Martindale-Hubbell, 2020
- Recognizing excellence in the practice of law in Georgia as published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Top Attorneys of Georgia, Top Attorneys of Georgia, 2019
- Recognizing excellence in the practice of law in Georgia as published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Top Attorneys of Georgia, Top Attorneys of Georgia, 2018
- Recognizing excellence in the practice of law in Georgia, Georgia Top Rated Lawyers, Georgia Top Rated Lawyers, 2016
- Recognizing excellence in the practice of Social Security disability law, Excellence in Social Security Disability Law, Lawyers of Distinction, 2018
- Recognizing excellence in client satisfaction in the practice of Social Security disability law, 10 Best for Client Satisfaction - Social Security & Disability Law Division, American Institute of Legal Counsel, 2016
- Recognizing excellence in the practice of law, Top 100 Lawyer, American Society of Legal Advocates, 2018
- Provided free legal services to Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Chattanooga Community Kitchen and Chattanooga Cares, Pro Bono Excellence Award, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, 2012
- Recognizing excellence in the practice of law, Top 100 Lawyer, American Society of Legal Advocates, 2017
- Provided free legal services to Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Chattanooga Community Kitchen and Chattanooga Cares, Pro Bono Excellence Award, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, 2010
- Over $1 million dollars in attorneys fees from approximately 375 Social Security disability cases from 2012 to the present. In each case the maximum fee at the administrative level is 25% of the back benefits or $6,000.00, which ever is less. The majority of these cases were approved after a hearing before an administrative law judge. In most cases my clients get substantial back benefits as well as benefits going forward and healthcare in the form or Medicare or Medicaid which translates into millions of dollars in back benefits and in healthcare benefits
- $3.67 million settlement on behalf of William King, a worker doused with a bucket of 98% sulfuric acid by a negligent third party working near a grate in the mezzanine above. At the time this was the largest settlement ever entered in the State of Illinois for a chemical burn case. The highest previous settlement for such as case was $1.85 million, 2003
- $1.55 million settlement for a rape victim against a negligent landlord. At the time it was the highest settlement on record for such a case in Illinois, 2002
- $1.45 million settlement for a farmer, Paul Morris, who suffered electrical burns and loss of his right hand and forearm, brought under a little-used exception to the Workers' Compensation Act. At the time this was the largest settlement ever entered in the Schuyler County Circuit Court in Illinois, 2001
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2021 - 2025
