Rebecca Franklin Harris
Rebecca Franklin Harris works tirelessly to protect consumer rights and advance product safety.
Attorney Profile
As founder of Franklin Law, LLC, Rebecca Franklin Harris works with clients both locally in Savannah and across the country in cases involving consumer rights and product safety. In addition to dangerous consumer products, her practice includes cases arising out of trucking accidents, medical malpractice, aviation disasters and premises liability incidents.
As an undergraduate, Rebecca received her Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Georgia. She then went on to pursue her legal education at the University of Georgia School of Law, where she obtained her law degree with honors.
During her career, she has worked to obtain substantial jury awards and sizable settlements on behalf of her clients in cases against major automotive manufacturers such as Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Honda, and Nissan, as well as tire manufactures Michelin, Firestone, Continental, and Cooper Tire. Rebecca has also represented clients in product liability cases involving medical devices, sports safety equipment, and mobility devices. She has also resolved cases on behalf of clients against multiple international commercial air carriers. Rebecca has also represented numerous victims of medical malpractice.
Rebecca has been repeatedly recognized for her legal achievements, being inducted into the “Verdicts Hall of Fame” and named as part of “Georgia’s Top 40 Under 40” by Georgia’s leading legal publication, The Fulton County Daily Report. She was a recipient of the “Courageous Pursuit of Justice Award” given by The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and has consistently been recognized as part of the “Rising Stars” selection in the annual Georgia Super Lawyers publication. She has also been selected Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Association.
Rebecca routinely speaks at professional seminars on topics such as product liability litigation, pre-trial motions and depositions, and trial advocacy. She is an active member of numerous legal and professional organizations, including The State Bar of Georgia, The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, The American Association of Justice, The Southern Trial Lawyers Association, and The American Bar Association, among others.
Honors and Awards:
- Verdicts Hall of Fame, Fulton County Daily Report
- On the Rise: Georgia’s Top 40 Under 40, Fulton County
Daily Report - Courageous Pursuit of Justice Award, Georgia Trial
Lawyers Association - Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers
Association - Top 40 Under 40, National Trial Lawyers Association
- Barrister, Lumpkin Inn of Court
- Pupil, Lumpkin Inn of Court
- Georgia’s Super Lawyers “Rising Star” honoree
List Bar / Professional Activity as follows:
- State Bar of Georgia
- American Bar Association
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association
- Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
- American Association of Justice
Scholarly Lectures and Writings:
- The Litigation Playground: Standing Up to Lawyer Bullies, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, LEAD Program, 2017
- From the Pinto to the Tesla: How the Past will Shape the Future of Automotive Products, Southern Trial Lawyers Association, 2017
- “Gotcha” Games: Defense Trends of Claiming Spoliation and Other Tricks in Product Liability Cases, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 2016
- Going Through the Motions: Pre-Trial Motions in Product Liability Cases, Product Liability Seminar, State Bar Of Georgia, 2014
- Motions in Limine, ICLE, General Practice Annual Seminar, State Bar Of Georgia, 2013
- Lawyers Gone Wild: Obstructive & Abusive Deposition Tactics, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 2012
- Preparing Your Expert for a Product Liability Trial, American Association Of Justice, 2011
- Unique Product Liability Issues in Aviation Cases, Product Liability Newsletter, American Association Of Justice, 2011
- Running an Efficient Law Office, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 2011
- Using Evidence of Other Incidents to Prove Your Case, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 2010
- Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Tire Issues in Auto Tort Cases, Co-author With Jed Manton, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 2010
- Preparing and Trying a Plaintiff’s Road Wreck Case, co-authored with James B. Franklin, General Practice Section ICLE, State Bar Of Georgia, 2007
- “Objection – That Question is a Trap!” Handling Obstructive and Abusive Deposition Tactics, co-authored with Andrew M. Scherffius, State Bar Of Georgia, 2007
- Aviation Case Law Update, The Georgia Flyer, Aviation Section Of The State Bar Of Georgia, 2007
- Same Song Different Verse – Foot Dragging and Sandbagging Alive and Well: Modern Discovery Abuse Illustrated in Ford Motor Co. v. Tennin, Western Trial Lawyers Association, 2007
- The Poisoned Panel: Voir Dire in a Post Tort Reform Era, co-authored with Andrew M. Scherffius, Auto Torts Seminar, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 2006
- Expert Cross-Examination in an Auto Tort Case: Practical Pointers from the Young and the Old, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, 2006
- Valuing Life: Concrete Justice or Absolute Fortuity – Implications of Georgia’s Choice of Law Rule to the Value of Your Case, co-authored with Andrew M. Scherffius, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Holiday Seminar, 2005
TO CONTACT REBECCA CALL 912.335.3305 OR EMAIL:
Representative Cases
Franklin Law routinely partners with other firms by offering the unique benefit of their attorneys’ knowledge of Georgia laws and extensive experience in complex litigation.
Below are just a few examples of cases in which Franklin Law has been instrumental in helping clients and other law firms in complex cases.
Jones v. CSX Transportation et al – Franklin Law helped secure an $11.2 million verdict in a case arising out of the death of a camera assistant after being struck by a train while working on the set of a film titled “Midnight Rider,” which was based on the life of iconic musician Greg Allman. That verdict was instrumental in exposing issues with safety on film sets, an important matter for Georgia given the explosive growth of the film and television industry in this State.
Chhetri v. Michelin North America et al – Franklin Law helped secure a $16.5 million verdict against Michelin North America based on a defective tire design which caused a large passenger van to overturn resulting in the death of one passenger and multiple serious injuries. The jury awarded the widow of the man who was killed with over $5 million in compensatory damages and awarded $11.5 million in punitive damages based on Plaintiff’s claim that Michelin knew, or should have known, that the tire was defective and dangerous.
Desmond v. Narconon - Franklin Law has unique experience in exposing dangerous practices relating to addiction recovery. Franklin Law was part of the team representing the family of a man who died after being allowed to consume alcohol and opiates while enrolled in a Georgia drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. Unbeknownst to the Plaintiffs, the facility had repeatedly been cited by the State of Georgia for violations of health regulations and was not actually licensed as a residentual facility, despite its representations to the public. During the litigation, the trial court severely sanctioned the facility, finding that the rehabilitation center had provided false and misleading discovery responses and deposition testimony. Because of what was uncovered in discovery and the case's publicity, the rehabilitation center's license was ultimately revoked by the State of Georgia.
Mundy v. Ford Motor Company et al - Franklin Law represented Jessica Mundy, a young lady who was paralyzed after her Ford Explorer unexpectedly shifted from park to reverse as she was stepping back into her vehicle after dropping off mail at post office. Franklin Law uncovered hundreds of other similar incidents where customers complained of a Ford Explorer suddenly shifting out of the park position. The jury returned a verdict of $40 million, which included a large sum for punitive damages to punish Ford Motor Company for knowing about the danger in its vehicles, but failing to remedy the defect.
Williams Asset Management v. Synovus Bank – Franklin Law represented individuals who were sued by a major Georgia banking institution over a dispute involving millions of dollars. Franklin Law, along with attorneys representing other individuals targeted by the bank, successfully defeated the bank’s allegations. The trial judge found that the Bank did not have a viable legal claim against Franklin Law’s clients.
2250 East Victory Drive
Suite 102
Savannah, GA 31404
Phone: 912.335.3305