The Bell Firm

Call John Bell 706-408-8237

The Bell Firm

706-408-8237

Accomplished And Respected

Trial Advocacy

John C. Bell

ATTORNEY AT LAW

Contact Me:

(706) 408-8237

Education

  • University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, Georgia
    • J.D - 1972
    • Honors: cum laude
    • Honors: Student Senator Class Vice President
    • Honors: Phi Beta Kappa Ki
    • Honors: Phi Delta Phi
  • Augusta State University
    • B.A
  • University of Dijon
    • 1969
John C. Bell

Practice Areas:

  • Litigation and Environmental Litigation

Representative Cases

  • Merrimon v. Unum Life Ins. Co. of Am., – F.Supp.2d – , 2012 WL 406968 (D.Me. Feb. 3, 2012)
  • Otte v. Life Ins. Co. of N.A., 275 F.R.D. 50 (D.Mass. 2011)
  • Edmonson v. Lincoln Nat’l Life Ins. Co., 777 F.Supp. 2d 869 (E.D.Pa. 2011)
  • Mogel v. UNUM Life Ins. Co. of America, 547 F.3d 23, 45 Employee Benefits Cas. 1289, C.A.1 (Mass.), November 06, 2008 (NO. 08-1334)
  • Liberty Lending Services v. Canada, 293 Ga.App. 731, 668 S.E.2d 3, 08 FCDR 2886, Ga.App., September 12, 2008 (NO. A08A1295)
  • In re American General Life & Accident Ins. Co. Retiree Benefits “ERISA” Litig., 387 F.Supp.2d 1361 (J.P.M.L. 2005)
  • Del Rosario v. King & Prince Seafood Corp., 2006 WL 2367130 (S.D.Ga. March 7, 2006)
  • Jones v. American General Life & Accident Ins. Co., 370 F.3d 1065 (11th Cir. 2004)
  • Kemp v. American Tel. & Tel. Co., 393 F.3d 1354 (11th Cir. 2004)
  • Jones v. American General Life and Acc. Ins. Co., 213 F.R.D. 689, 29 Employee Benefits Cas. 2832, S.D.Ga., December 13, 2002 (No. CV101-003).
  • Taylor Auto Group, Inc. v. Jessie, 241 Ga.App. 602 (1999)
  • Transportation Ins. Co. v. El Chico Restaurants, Inc., 271 Ga. 774 (1999)
  • UNUM Life Ins. Co. of America v. Crutchfield, 256 Ga.App. 582 (2002)
  • Travelers, Inc. v. Patterman, 272 Ga. 251 (2000)
  • Johansen v. Combustion Engineering, Inc., 170 F.3d 1320 (11th Cir. 1999)
  • Stepak v. Addison, 20 F.3d 398 (11th Cir. 1994)
  • Doctors Hospital of Augusta, Inc. v. Boner, 195 Ga.App. 152 (1990)
  • Kitt v. Shield Ins. Co., 240 Ga. 619 (1978)

Bar Admissions

  • South Carolina, 1991
  • Georgia, 1972
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit

Honors

  • Named to SuperLawyers, 2005-2023

Classes & Seminars

  • Destroying The Defense: (Impeachment; Discrediting; Character Evidence; Admissions; Inconsistent Statements- How to Plant the Seed and Reap the Harvest), Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, October 1983
  • Destroying The Defense: (Impeachment; Discrediting; Character Evidence; Admissions; Inconsistent Statements- How to Plant the Seed and Reap the Harvest), Navy J.A.G. Seminar, Charleston, South Carolina, October 1984
  • How to Obtain an Adequate Verdict in a Catastrophic Injury Auto Accident Case, South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, Columbia, South Carolina, December 1984
  • Opening Statement: Organization of Available Materials, Dramatization, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, August 1985
  • Managing the Catastrophic Injury Case, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, December 1985
  • Preparing the Business Case For Trial By Applying What you Already Know, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, May 1987
  • Product Liability, the Victims Point-of-View How to Avoid the Lawsuit, American Society of Quality Control, Aiken, South Carolina, September 1987
  • 98 Ways Not to Practice Law, Tradition of Excellence Seminar, Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, November 1987
  • The Malpracticing Samaritan, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Jekyll Island, Georgia, November 1987
  • Trial Preparation: Putting It All Together With The Finishing Touches Approaching Trial Day, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia Augusta 1988
  • Opening Statement: Product Liability, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Callaway Gardens, Georgia, October 1988
  • Bringing Sinners to the Bar of Justice- Punitive Damages, Successful Trial Practice Seminar, Atlanta, Georgia, January 1994
  • Class Action Property Damage Claims Against Polluters, Red Clay Conference, Environmental Law Association, Athens, Georgia, April 1994
  • Taking Discovery Depositions and Depositions for Uses at Trial- Differences in Strategy for Each and Why…When and Which Depositions to Take…Cost Factors, Auto Wreck Seminar, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Columbus, South Carolina, January 1995
  • Taking Discovery Depositions and Depositions for Uses at Trial- Differences in Strategy for Each and Why…When and Which Depositions to Take…Cost Factors, Auto Wreck Seminar, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, January 1995
  • Taking Discovery Depositions and Depositions for Uses at Trial- Differences in Strategy for Each and Why…When and Which Depositions to Take…Cost Factors, Auto wreck Seminar, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Augusta, Georgia, February 1995
  • Nuisance and Trespass: Common Law Remedies for Environmental Wrongs, Toxic Tort Section Toxic Tort Litigation Panel Discussion, Atlanta Bar Association, Atlanta, Georgia, December 1995
  • Inner Preparation for Trial, Maryland Trials Lawyers Association Seminar, Baltimore, Maryland, December 1996
  • Justice For All (Torts, Jury Trials, and Nourishing Our Individual Freedom), Marietta Kiwanis Club, Marietta, GA, August 1997
  • Property Damage Class Action in Environmental Torts, Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys, Hilton Head, South Carolina, August 1997
  • Environmental Torts, With Class and Without Class, Annual Trial Lawyers Conference, Southern Trial Lawyers Association, New Orleans, Louisiana February 1998
  • Property Damage Claims Against Polluters with Class and Without Class, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Amelia Island, Florida, April 1998
  • Punitive Damages: Bringing Unrepentant Sinners to the Bar of Justice, (When to Ask for Them, How to Get Them, and How to Keep Them), Holiday Seminar, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, December 1998
  • Use of Experts in Environmental Cases, Atlanta Bar Association, Atlanta, Georgia, January 1999
  • How Not to Practice Law, Fall Workshop, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Savannah, Georgia, October 1999
  • The Search for Forgotten Coverage: Homeowners-Double Crashes and Other Thoughts, “Torts of Sorts” Seminar, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, December 1999
  • Rules for A.D.R. in Big Cases, Annual Meeting of the ADR Section, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, November 2000
  • Punitive Damages: Bringing Unrepentant Sinners to the Bar of Justice (When to Ask for Them, How to Get Them, and How to Keep Them), American Trial Lawyers Association, Montreal, Canada, July 2001
  • Impeaching Witnesses with Style, Emory University School of Law, Roscoe Pound Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia, April 2002
  • Cross Examining the Expert Witness in a Toxic Tort Case, Toxic Tort Seminar, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, May 2002
  • Corporate Shell Games, 55th Annual Melvin Belli Seminar, American Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, July 2002
  • The Joy of Cross Examination of a Deceptive Expert, Art of Advocacy Seminar, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2003, and Toxic Tort Seminar, Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, November 2003
  • How to Not Practice Law, Fall Workshop, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Columbus, Georgia, October 2003
  • The Joy of Cross Examination, Georgia Foundations and Objections Seminar, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Augusta, Georgia, November 2003
  • The Truth About Class Actions: Hidden Dangers/ Workable Solutions, Holiday Seminar, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, December 2003
  • The Joy of Cross Examination of a Deceptive Expert, Toxic Tort and Environmental Litigation in Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, January 2004
  • Damages Recoverable in an Environmental Case, Proving Damages Seminar, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2004
  • Local Governments as Plaintiffs Bringing Polluters to Justice, Nuts and Bolts of Local Government Law Seminar, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Savannah, Georgia, March 2004
  • Litigating Product Liability Class Actions- For the Plaintiff, Annual Product Liability Seminar, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, May 2004
  • Consumer Class Actions and Interesting Alternatives, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Atlanta, Georgia, October 2004
  • Brain Injury, General Practice and Trial Section, Institution of Continuing Legal Education, Brunswick, Georgia, April 2005
  • Environmental Property Damage Claims, Annual Meeting, American Association for Justice, Chicago, Illinois, July 2007
  • Getting and Keeping Punitive Damages, Annual Meeting of Kentucky Association for Justice, Lexington, Kentucky, September 2007
  • The Art of Advocacy: Cross Examination of the Well Educated, Well Prepared Witness, South Carolina Bar, Columbia, South Carolina, October 2008
  • The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Initiation Ceremony, Augusta State University Chapter, Augusta, Georgia, March 2009
  • Property Damages Claims Against Polluters with Class and Without, Annual Convention, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, Georgia, April 2009, and Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Amelia Island, Florida, April 2010
  • Screening Toxic Tort Cases and Clients, Annual Convention, American Association for Justice, San Francisco, California, July 2009
  • Cross Examination By Being Nice: Sugar is Better Than Salt, Georgia State Bar Trial Practice Seminar, Amelia Island, Florida, February 2010
  • When Client Goals and Case Realities Diverge: Ethical Dilemmas in Representing Named Plaintiffs, National Consumer Law Center, Consumer Class Action Symposium, Boston, Massachusetts, November 2010