Alan W. Mortensen

Top rated Personal Injury attorney in Salt Lake City, Utah

Mortensen & Milne
Alan W. Mortensen
Mortensen & Milne

Practice areas: Personal Injury, Aviation & Aerospace, Products Liability; view more

Licensed in Utah since: 1993

Education: University of Wyoming College of Law

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2012 - 2017, 2020 - 2025
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Mortensen & Milne

68 S Main St
Suite 700
Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Visit website
Details

Alan W. Mortensen, president of Mortensen & Milne in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a distinguished attorney renowned for providing exceptional legal representation to victims of wrongful acts. With a reach extending far beyond Utah, his legal prowess covers a vast spectrum, from personal injury and aviation law to trials and appeals.

Mr. Mortensen skillfully navigates intricate cases, whether they're rooted in motor vehicle mishaps, mining accidents, sexual abuse, civil rights breaches, workplace injuries, medical errors, construction flaws, forfeiture, employment dilemmas or insurance battles. His influence spans the courtrooms of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, with a history of securing multimillion-dollar triumphs, including appeals to the Utah Court of Appeals, the Utah Supreme Court, the Wyoming Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

As a dynamic force in trial law, Mr. Mortensen has led high-profile cases, including aviation, truck accidents and insurance bad faith claims, earning nationwide attention. Notably, he secured a record-setting $25 million product liability wrongful death jury verdict in Utah and was instrumental in the Elko, Nevada, bus tragedy case. His notable achievements extend to serving on the steering committee of the Asiana Air Disaster and achieving a significant multimillion-dollar result against the FLDS Church United Effort Plan Trust in the Utah Supreme Court. He also spearheaded litigation in the Guatemalan air disaster, uncovering defects in a Pratt & Whitney PT6 engine, and has conducted extensive investigations into aviation disasters globally, including in Honduras, Peru and Oregon.

Mr. Mortensen's skill extends to diverse semi-truck disasters, representing victims against major companies such as FedEx, J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc., and Swift Transportation Company. A graduate of the University of Wyoming College of Law, where he contributed to the Wyoming Law Review, he has been practicing law in Utah since 1993. His professional affiliations are extensive, including past presidency of the Utah Association for Justice and memberships in the American Association for Justice, the Utah State Bar and the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association. As a barrister in the David K. Watkiss - Sutherland II American Inn of Court, he is often sought by national media for his legal insights.

Fluent in Spanish and well-versed in Latin American civil codes, Mr. Mortensen has penned numerous articles in prestigious legal journals and is a popular speaker at seminars and conferences. His unwavering commitment to justice and profound legal skills make him a powerful advocate for those he represents.

Practice areas

Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Aviation and Aerospace, Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff

Focus areas

Animal Bites, Assault, Aviation, Aviation Accidents - Plaintiff, Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Dram Shop Laws, Medical Devices, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Defects, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Pharmaceutical, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Toxic Mold, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death

  • 50% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
  • 30% Aviation and Aerospace
  • 20% Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff

First Admitted: 1993, Utah

Professional Webpage: https://www.mortmilnelaw.com/alan

Bar / Professional Activity

  • The National Trial Lawyers
  • Nominated and elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates., 2020
  • American Bar Association
  • Barrister in the David K. Watkiss-Sutherland II American Inns of Court
  • Admitted Pro Hac Vice in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Alabama, Ohio, Florida
  • Admitted to United States Supreme Court (2013)
  • Admitted 10th Circuit Court of Appeals (1994 to present)
  • Admitted Colorado State Bar (1994 to present)
  • Admitted Wyoming State Bar (1994 to present)
  • Admitted Utah State Bar (1993 to present)
  • Nominated and elected to Litigation Counsel of America, 2020
  • Member, Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association
  • Member, Utah Association for Justice
  • Member, Salt Lake County Bar Associations
  • Member, Utah State Bar Association
  • Member, American Association for Justice
  • President of the Utah Association for Justice, 2017

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

  • $25,000,000 wrongful death verdict of a 3 year old child that strangled in corded window blinds. Believed to be the largest in Utah history., 2021
  • Confidential settlement of a significantly brain injured woman from a trucking/bus accident, believed to be the largest single plaintiff settlement in Utah history., 2021
  • $16,000,000 bench trial verdict against the FLDS Church for the childhood marriage and rape of an underage girl., 2018

Representative Clients

  • Erin V. Nielson v. City of South Salt Lake and Officer Gary Jason Burnham
  • MJ v. Wisan, 371 P.3d 21 (Utah 2016)
  • West American Insurance Company v. AV & S, AM & S, LSK, AS & S, & Ambassador Pizza, Inc.
  • Fire Insurance v. Blackner
  • State of Utah v. 73,130 United States Currency
  • Allstate Insurance Company v. Richard Worthington
  • Chevron Mining Inc. v. United Mine Workers of America
  • Randy O. Lieber v. ITT Hartford Insurance Center, INC.

Pro bono / Community Service

  • Member, BYU Cougar Club
  • Platinum Member, The Verdict Club, Premier Trial Lawyers
  • Sits on Board of Directors and do legal work for Centerpoint Legacy Theater in Centerville, Utah, 2000

Educational Background

  • University of Wyoming College of Law, With Honors, Member, Land & Water Law Review (now known as the Wyoming Law Review)
  • University of Utah, B.A. in Political Science, With Honors

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

  • Utah Association for Justice, Auto-Spectacular Mid-Year Seminar, “Anchors Aweigh – Not Anchoring Down Your General Damage Case”, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 22, 2022
  • Utah Association for Justice, Trial Lawyers University, “Window Blind Strangulation”, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 17, 2022
  • Utah Association for Justice, Getting the Most Value for the Least Dollar – Focus Groups, September 17, 1999, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • National Business Institute, Basics of a Medical Malpractice Case in Utah, March 2003, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, Brain Injury in the Medical Malpractice Case with Ruth Renlund, March 9, 2007, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, How To Successfully Resolve Automobile Injury Cases, November 29-30, 2006, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, Preparing the Mild to Moderate TBI Case, November 29th-30th, 2007, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, Finding Expert Witnesses for the Brain Injury Case, March 7, 2006, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, Preparing the Mild to Moderate TBI Case, March 9, 2007, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, Using Effective Medical Evidence in Court, December 11, 2008, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, Preparing the Mild to Moderate TBI Case Using Lay Witnesses, March 21, 2008, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • National Business Institute, Utah Bad Faith Primer, May, 2009, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Sullivan v. Scoular Grain: Injured Employees Further Forced to Bear Burden to Boss's Neglect
  • Utah Association for Justice, Focus Groups on a Dime, April 10, 2009, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, Ten Myths About the TBI Case, March 5, 2010 Salt Lake City, Utah
  • National Business Institute, Judicial Forum of Advanced Discovery and Trial Practice, May 11, 2012, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, What the NFL and Helmet Litigation has Taught Us About Handling Brain Injury Cases Involving Repeated Concussions, March 9, 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah State Bar Mid-Year Convention, Is Facebook Your Friend? Using Social Media to Build Your Case, March 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Utah Association for Justice, Objective Before and After Witnesses from Social Services, February 26, 2016, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • SMU Air Law Symposium, Journal of Air Law and Commerce, Should I Buy New Or Used? What Is a “New” Part, a “Rebuilt” Part, and a “Used Part” Under the General Aviation Revitalization Act, and Why Does it Matter? March 30-31st, 2017, Dallas, Texas.
  • Case Note, The Marriage of Strict Liability and Comparative Negligence Left Waiting at the Altar? XXVII Land and Water Review 223 (1992)
  • Comment, Wyoming Fetal Rights — Why the Abortion Albatross is a Bird of a Different Color: The Case for Fetal Federalism XXVIII Land and Water Review 627 (1993)
  • Employees Further Forced to Bear Burden of Boss’s Neglect, Utah Bar Journal (1996)
  • The Case of “Jet Skis,” “Personal Watercraft, Wikipedia and the Investigator Son, Utah Trial Journal, Volume 36, No. 1 (Winter 2013)
  • The Exception to the “Presence Rule” for Parents’ Recovery Under a Theory of Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress in Childhood Abuse Cases, Utah Trial Journal, Volume 38, No. 3 (Fall 2015)
  • Should I Buy New Or Used? What Is a “New” Part, a “Rebuilt” Part, and a “Used Part” Under the General Aviation Revitalization Act, and Why Does it Matter? Utah Trial Journal, Volume 40, No. 4 (Fall 2017)
  • Litigating Aircraft Product Liability Cases: Avoiding the General Aviation Revitalization Act's Statute of Repose
  • What Every Plaintiff's Lawyer Should Know in Avoiding Workers Compensation Immunity with Public Employers (Sherwood v. Oklahoma County)

Honors

  • Member, The Verdict Club for Premier Trial Lawyers
  • Legislative Titan for the Utah Association for Justice, 2013-2017
  • The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers for Utah
  • Mountain States Super Lawyers 2012-2018
  • Best Lawyers in America 2009 to present
  • Selected as one of Utah's Legal Elite
  • Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Association of Trial Lawyers
  • AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated Martindale-Hubbell 2006 to present
  • Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum 2009 to present

Industry Groups

  • AAJ
  • UAJ
  • Utah Bar Association
  • Wyoming Bar Association

Office location for Alan W. Mortensen

68 S Main St
Suite 700
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Phone: 801-521-4444

Selections

12 Years Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers: 2012 - 2017, 2020 - 2025

Top Lists

Top 100: Mountain States Super Lawyers: 2024 - 2025

Attorney resources for Alan W. Mortensen

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