Chip W. Benton

Biography Terrell W. Chip Benton III is a Partner in the Atlanta office of Hall Booth Smith, and he specializes in general liability, professional malpractice and ethics, professional negligence, and medical malpractice. His primary focus is representing physicians, hospitals, and other health care workers in medical malpractice lawsuits, and he has represented physicians before the State Composite Medical Board and the State Dental Board. He also has extensive experience in handling premises liability, toxic torts, malicious prosecution, trucking, and automobile liability cases and has tried over 55 jury trials throughout Georgia in these matters. More + Chip began his legal career as a law clerk to Honorable Kenneth Kilpatrick in the Superior Court of Clayton County, where he was responsible for drafting orders on all motions before the Court. He joined Hall Booth Smith in 2000, and became a partner in 2004. Chip is very active in the community and volunteers with the Truancy Intervention Project, where he represents children in juvenile court on truancy matters. He serves on the Advisory Board for the Metro Atlanta Salvation Army and has served as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. He has been active in Peachtree Road United Methodist Church and coaching in various youth sports programs in Atlanta. He is married to Mary T. Benton and they have two sons, Will and Marshall. Experience General Liability Chip has extensive experience in general liability cases including premises liability, automobile liability, and construction. Medical Malpractice Chip has been litigating in the health care field since 1997. He represents doctors, nurses, and hospitals throughout the State of Georgia and handles all matters in medical negligence cases and other high exposure catastrophic injury cases. He has extensive first chair jury trial experience in all areas of Georgia with over forty jury trials. Additionally, Chip has represented physicians before the State Composite Medical Board, the State Dental Board, and other regulatory agencies. Some recent litigation highlights include the following: Lead counsel in a medical malpractice case defending a rheumatologist. The allegations involved over-prescribing Imuran and failing to monitor blood levels. Received defense verdict in the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Lead counsel for neurosurgeon in Cobb County, Georgia for a case involving failure to treat recurrent pituitary tumor. Received defense verdict, 2008. Lead counsel for emergency medicine physician in Middle Georgia accused of failing to diagnose Stevens Johnsons Syndrome. Received defense verdict, 2008. Lead counsel in medical malpractice case for pain management physician. The allegations involved physicians improper technique for performing cervical epidural steroid injections. Received defense verdict, 2007. Lead counsel in medical malpractice case in Gwinnett County involving nursing home care. Received defense verdict for internist for his alleged failure to monitor patients PT/INR and Coumadin levels, 2007. Lead counsel for orthopedic surgeon in Baldwin County, Georgia, where allegations included physicians improper removal of locking plates for radius and ulna surgery. Received defense verdict, 2007. Co-lead counsel for CRNA in Fulton County. CRNA allegedly moved a patient pre-surgery allegedly causing his paralysis. Received defense verdict, 2007. Lead counsel for cardiothoracic surgeon in Fulton County, where allegations include failure to diagnose a deep vein thrombosis post quadruple bypass surgery. Received defense verdict, 2007. Lead counsel for emergency room physician in wrongful death case where the physician allegedly failed to diagnose a volvulus. Received defense verdict, 2006. Lead counsel for family practice physician in wrongful death action for failing to diagnose Cryptococcus for a patient previously diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. Received defense verdict, 2010. Lead counsel for dentist accused of improperly severing the lingual nerve during an extraction. Received defense verdict, 2009. Lead counsel for general surgeon in placement of dialysis catheter. The allegations involved improper surgical technique and failing to recognize complication. Received defense verdict, 2013. Lead counsel for dermatologist in Henry County, Georgia. The allegation was improper removal of a cyst on the scalp. Received defense verdict, 2013. Lead counsel for urologist in Toombs County, Georgia. The allegations were that urologist improperly administered microwave therapy for prostate reduction. Received defense verdict, 2013. Lead counsel for OB/GYN in Fulton County. The allegations involved retained sutures after a hysterectomy. Received defense verdict, 2013. Lead counsel for vascular surgeon in Fulton County on claims for negligence while placing a catheter. Received defense verdict, 2014. Lead counsel for pain management physician in Coweta County including allegations of improper placement of an epidural. Received defense verdict, 2014. Lead counsel for pain management physician in failure response to complications post epidural in Athens-Clarke County. Received defense verdict, 2015. Lead counsel for hospital in Morgan County for allegations of patient fall in hospital bathroom. Received defendants verdict, 2017 Lead counsel for local hospital for patient fall in hospital room in Fulton County. Received defendants verdict, 2018. Professional Malpractice & Ethics Chips practice includes representation of attorneys in legal malpractice claims ranging from real estate issues to fraud to general legal matters. Credentials Admitted State Courts: Georgia, 1995 U. S. District Courts: U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia U. S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia Education J. D., University of Oklahoma, 1995 B. A., Southern Methodist University, 1992 Memberships American Bar Association Atlanta Bar Association DRI Georgia Defense Lawyers Association Lawyers Club of Atlanta Recognition The Best Lawyers in America , Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants, Best Lawyers , 2026 The Best Lawyers in America , Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Best Lawyers , 2025 AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated , Martindale-Hubbell Georgia Rising Star, Super Lawyers ; 2006, 2009-2010 Top 40 Under 40, Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2009 Presentations Defense of a Personal Injury Case Georgia ICLE, 2011-2018 Update of Medical Malpractice Case Law 2008 How to Avoid Malpractice Lawsuits The Medical Protective Company CME for Dentists and Physicians, Atlanta; 2003-2004 Situational Ethics: Ethics and Professionalism at Alternative Dispute Resolution and Trial The Atlanta Claims Association More + Medical Malpractice Seminar Update on Case Law, 2009 Defense of a Personal Injury Claim: Update on Tort Reform October 2009 Medical Malpractice Seminar ICLE, November 2008 How to Avoid a Lawsuit? Medical Protective Physicians Group, October 2007 Jury Trials CLE State Bar of Georgia, May 2007 Update on Medical Malpractice Law: Recent Cases and Their Impact on the Defense Annual North Georgia Seminar, November 2004 Publications Update of Georgia Law on General Liability Atlanta Claims Convention, 2003 Hospital Liability for Doctors Practicing as Independent Contractors For the Record, Hall Booth Smith, 2002 Recent Developments in Medical Malpractice Hall Booth Smith Healthcare Law Seminar, 2002 Court of Appeals Adopt, Continuing Treatment Doctrine in Appropriate Medical Malpractice Case Including Alleged Misdiagnosis For the Record, Hall Booth Smith, 2001 In the Press 58 HBS Attorneys Recognized as The Best Lawyers in America Award Recipients August 16, 2024 Hall Booth Smith, P. C. is pleased to announce that 58 lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America Read Full Article HBS Attorneys Honored by The Best Lawyers in America August 19, 2015 Hall Booth Smith, P. C. (HBS) is pleased to announce eleven lawyers from the firm were honored in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America . This award is based on an evaluation process that includes a collection of client and lawyer evaluations and peer reviews from attorneys in the same field. These HBS attorneys and Read Full Article HBS Attorneys Honored as The Best Lawyers in America March 6, 2015 Hall Booth Smith, P. C. (HBS) is pleased to announce nine lawyers from the firm were honored in the 2015 edition of The Best Lawyers in America . This award is based on an evaluation process that includes a collection of client and lawyer evaluations and peer reviews from attorneys in the same field. These HBS attorneys and Read Full Article Best Lawyers Magazine Recognizes Nine HBS Attorneys as Best Lawyers 2012May 10, 2012 Hall Booth Smith (HBS) has once again been recognized for its outstanding legal work. Alex H. Booth, John E. Hall, Jr., Jack G. Slover, and Jonathan Marigliano, of the Atlanta office; Michael S. Meyer von Bremen of the Albany office; Terrell W. Benton, Jr. of the Athens office; Michael G. Frick of the Brunswick office; Anthony Read Full Article Load More Posts