About Danny Ellis

Danny Ellis is a personal injury attorney who has practiced on both sides of plaintiff and defense work, giving him direct insight into how insurance companies evaluate and defend cases. He earned his B.A. with honors in history from Freed Hardeman University in 1997 and his J.D. from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 2000, where he served as a law review editor and graduated near the top of his class. He began his career in Jackson, Tennessee, quickly building a reputation as a courtroom advocate and handling cases across West Tennessee. He also served on the Jackson city council, rising to the position of vice mayor.

After a period as an insurance defense attorney in Knoxville, he returned to representing injured victims and now uses his knowledge of defense tactics to pursue claims more aggressively. He is board certified in truck accident law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, serves as Vice President (East) of Tennessee Trial Lawyers, and is Dean of the Keenan Trial Institute Deposition College. He has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for seven consecutive years and is licensed in Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Washington, and South Dakota.

Proven verdicts and settlements

Verdict

In Hamer v. Duffy, 2026 SD 4, the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled unanimously that violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations adopted into state law can constitute negligence per se, reversing a zero-damages jury verdict and remanding for a new trial.

South Dakota Supreme Court (Lincoln County origin) · 2026Truck AccidentsRead the full story →
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Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and depends on its own facts.

Practice areas

Education

Cumberland School of Law at Samford University
J.D., 2000
Freed Hardeman University
Undergraduate, 1997

Bar admissions & credentials

State Bar of Tennessee, admitted 2000
State Bar of South Dakota
State Bar of Arkansas, admitted 2009
State Bar of Georgia, admitted 2014
State Bar of Washington

Other attorneys at Hoy Law

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Danny Ellis, Personal Injury Lawyer · ProvenVerdicts