Practice areas: Personal Injury, Social Security Disability, Workers' Compensation; view more
Licensed in Kentucky since: 1996
Education: University of Kentucky College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2027 Call today:
270-731-3187
Free Consultation Rhoads & Rhoads, P.S.C.
115 E 2nd StSuite 100
Owensboro, KY 42303 Visit website
Partner at Rhoads & Rhoads, P.S.C., in Owensboro, Kentucky, Christopher Rhoads focuses his practice on personal injury litigation, with an emphasis on car accidents and truck accidents. Serving clients across Owensboro and surrounding counties, he handles complex civil injury claims for individuals facing severe harm. Licensed in Kentucky since 1996, he brings extensive legal experience to his current position, advocating for injured victims against insurance carriers and corporate defendants throughout the region.
Before joining Rhoads & Rhoads, P.S.C., in 2000, Mr. Rhoads spent five years practicing law in the trial practice and product liability litigation section of a leading firm in Lexington, Kentucky. His decades of experience allow him to navigate intricate personal injury matters effectively. By leveraging his strong background in trial advocacy, he works to protect client rights under Kentucky law.
Mr. Rhoads approaches each case with a trial-ready strategy rooted in thorough preparation and dedicated client advocacy. Utilizing his early defense experience, he anticipates opposing tactics to build compelling claims for injured individuals. His approach focuses on detailed investigation, clear presentation of damages and assertive negotiation with insurance carriers. By treating every matter with individual attention and rigorous legal standards, he works to secure complete financial recovery and meaningful justice for his clients.
His commitment to client advocacy is reinforced by extensive leadership within the legal community. A longtime member of the American Association for Justice, Mr. Rhoads served on its Young Lawyers Division board of governors. He has also served on the board of governors and as Second District vice president for the Kentucky Justice Association. As president of the association in 2026, he continues to advance trial advocacy and protecting consumer rights statewide.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Social Security Disability, Workers' Compensation: ClaimantFocus areas
Brain Injury, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 70% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 20% Social Security Disability
- 10% Workers' Compensation: Claimant
First Admitted: 1996, Kentucky
Professional Webpage: https://www.rhoadsandrhoads.com/attorney-profiles/christophe...
Bar / Professional Activity
- President of Kentucky Justice Association (KJA) , 2026
- American Trial Lawyers Association, Member
- Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys, (now Kentucky Justice Association) Board of Governors, Second District Vice President
- Kentucky, 1996
- 2025 - 2024 KJA President Elect/Vice President Executive Committee, 2025
- Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel, U.S. District Court for Western District of Kentucky, Bowling Green Division, appointed by Chief District Judge Greg N. Stivers, 2020
- Present - 2002 KJA Board of Governors, 2025
- Present- 1996 Member of Kentucky Bar Association; Trial Commissioner, appointed 2010-2013; 2017 KBA Annual Convention Planning Committee; 2014 KYLap Committee, Member 2003-2025; 2006-2009, 2026
- Present - 2016 - Lawyers Mutual of Kentucky (LMICK) Board of Directors, 2026
- American Association of Justice( AAJ), member, 2000-Present; Board of Governors Young Lawyers Division, 2002-2004, 2026
- National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOCCSR), member 2015-Present, 2026
- Present - 2000 Daviess County Bar Association; Treasurer, 2001; Vice President 2002; Liberty Bell Committee, member, 2000-2012; Scholarship Committee, member, 2001-2013, 2026
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Owensboro Division, Case No. 4:13-cv-00136-M: Traumatic Brain Injury (personal injury) case tried to a federal court jury, unanimous jury verdict for Plaintiff on liability and damages. Case was tried for 7 days with judgment for Plaintiff in the amount of $999,999.00. Commercial pharmaceutical sales driver collided with Plaintiff's vehicle; disputed liability and damages related to alleged traumatic brain injury. Multiple expert witnesses for liability and damages and over 50 motions in limine and over 30 witnesses testifying at trial. , 2016
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Covington Division. Represented Plaintiff in a personal injury negligence action against defendant trucking company, where Plaintiff suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in Carroll County, Kentucky. This case was particularly complex given the liability and damages issues. Plaintiff was a refugee from Burma and there were substantial issues as to determining the extent of his traumatic brain injury and residuals with no known baseline neurocognitive status. Dozens of expert witnesses were utilized by Plaintiff to address issues related to liability, causation, and the extensive and catastrophic damages. This matter was settled for a confidential amount after mediation just prior to trial. , 2021
- Knox Circuit Court and Middle Tennessee U.S. District Court: Represented Plaintiffs in a wrongful death negligence/products liability action against KEM, Inc. and Goodyear, where Plaintiff's wife was killed in a motor vehicle collision on Interstate 40 in Putman County, Tennessee, where a Goodyear tire blew causing a commercial vehicle to cross the median soon after the vehicle's tire had been serviced at a Goodyear Tire Center in Lebanon, Tennessee. Plaintiffs hired multiple expert witnesses relating to theories on liability and damages and ligated these cases in the Knox Circuit Court and Middle Tennessee U.S. District Court facing several complex procedural issues and damages issues. This matter settled for a confidential amount just before the trial. , 2024
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at Owensboro: Plaintiffs maintained a wrongful death action against corporation and its commercial driver alleging multiple theories of negligence. This was a highly disputed liability case with catastrophic damages. Plaintiffs counsel hired several expert witnesses relating to the issues of liability, causation and damages. Issues as to the accident reconstruction, conspicuity, survival beyond impact, toxicology, and damages were contested. This case settled subsequent to mediation and a few months before trial. , 2024
Representative Clients
- United Steel Workers ("USWA") Locals 9423 & 9443, 2026
- Owensboro Public Schools; Daviess County Public Schools , 2026
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Admitted to Supreme Court of Kentucky, and all Courts in the Commonwealth of Kentucky , 1996
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1999
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, 1997
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky, 1997
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 2012
Pro bono / Community Service
- Kentucky Bar Association, Pro Bono Award (over 50 hours of donated legal services), 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
- Present - 2020 Owensboro Health Foundation, Board member , and Executive Committee (Present- 2022), 2026
- Present - 2002 Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Committee (Owensboro, KY) Member and Volunteer, 2026
- Present- 2018 Salvation Army Advisory Board (Owensboro, KY) Executive Committee Member, 2026
- Present - 2000; Settle Memorial Methodist Church - Active member; Vice Chair to Administrative Board; Staff-Parish Relations Committee; Adult Couple Sunday School Teacher; High School/Middle School Sunday School Teacher; Long-Term Planning/Visioning Committee; Mission Committee; Youth Group Volunteer; Youth Group Mission Trip Leader (Auxier, KY; Belize; Costa Rica) , 2026
Educational Background
- Attended University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law (Lexington, KY) awarded Juris Doctor degree, 1993-1996
- Attended Furman University (Greenville SC) awarded Bachelor of Arts Degree, 1988-1992
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Served as faculty member & trial skills instructor for two (2) day academy instructing twenty (20) Kentucky attorneys on litigation, including trial (voir dire, opening statement, closing argument, direct & cross examinations) and evidentiary skills, Faculty Member/Trial Skills Instructor, KJA Trial Skills Academy, Kentucky Justice Association, Attorneys, 2024
- Taught/presented CLE on "Mediation Tips and Techniques: (Owensboro & Bowling Green, KY), Presenters, KJA Litigation Skills Seminar, Kentucky Justice Association, Attorneys, 2009
- Taught/presented CLE on "Understanding Uninsured/Underinsured and PIP Law in Kentucky" (Owensboro and Louisville, KY) , Presenter, KBA Kentucky Law Update Seminar, Kentucky Justice Association, Attorneys, 2012
- Workers' Compensation Subrogation and What Remains of AIK vs. Bush, Author, The Advocate (Vol. 45 ,N5, Sept/Oct 2018, Attorneys, 2018
- An Interview With Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham, Author, The Advocate (Vol. 45, No 6, Nov/Dec 2017), Attorneys, 2017
- Taught/presented CLE on “Kentucky Civil Litigation and Workers’ Compensation Subrogation”, Presenter, KJA Litigation Skills Seminar, Kentucky Justice Association, Attorneys, 2017
- Invited by State Representative D. J. Johnson’s Government Class, Owensboro, KY to speak his high school students on “The Bill of Rights and Our Forefathers’ Intentions on Protecting Individual Liberties” , Speaker, The Bill of Rights, Grace Christian Academy, High School Students, 2023
- Law update on Social Security, Worker's Compensation, and wills, Speaker, A Legal Update for Law Enforcement & Protecting Your Rights (And Your Spouse), Fraternal Order of Police, Law Enforcement Officers And Their Spouses, EMS, And Central Dispatch Employees, 2022
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Appointed to serve as Kentucky Supreme Court, Special Justice, by Governor Andy Beshear, 2023
- Appointed to serve as Kentucky Supreme Court, Special Justice, by Governor Steven Beshear, 2011
Honors
- AV Premier Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2025
- Present - 2018, Best Lawyers (formerly U.S. News & World Report), Best Lawyers, 2026
- National Association of Distinguished Counsel, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2024
- Member, 2016-Present, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2026
- Present - 2025, Litigation Counsel of America, The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, 2026
- 2025-2019 Best Attorney Award, Platinum, - voted by community, Best Attorney, The Messenger Inquirer (newspaper) Readers' Choice Award, 2025
- Award years: 2025 - 2020, Platinum award, voted on by community, Best Attorney - Platinum, Owensboro Living Magazine, 2025
Awards
AV Preeminent®: This elite award is granted to attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for their very high ethical standards, with an average peer review score of 4.5 or higher.
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2027
