Eric L. Buchanan

Degrees Earned

• Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD), Magna Cum Laude - Washington & Lee School of Law, 1997 
• Bachelor of Arts (History) - Virginia Military Institute, 1989

Accomplishments

• Certified as a Social Security Specialist by the Tennessee Commission on CLE and Specialization.
• Represented over 1150 disabled people at Social Security disability hearings.
• Represented several hundred disabled people in Federal Court.
• Chair, American Association for Justice (AAJ) (formerly ATLA) Social Security Disability Section, 2007-2008.
• Chair, Tennessee Bar Association, Disability Law Section, 2006-2007. 
• Past-chair American Association for Justice (AAJ) (formerly ATLA) Health Care Finance and Disability Litigation Group, 2006-2007.
• Past president of Chattanooga Trial Lawyers Association.
• Member, Order of the Coif, awarded to top 10% graduates of Law school class
• Member ODK, an honorary leadership fraternity, while in law school.
• Former U.S. Navy Pilot, Patrol Plane Commander on P-3C Orion Subhunting Aircraft.
• Licensed Commercial Pilot.

Bar Association Memberships

• Tennessee Bar Association
• Chattanooga Bar Association
• Georgia Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association

Court Admissions

• Tennessee Supreme Court, 1997
• State Bar of Georgia, 2003 
• United States Supreme Court, 2004
• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1999
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee, 1998
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee, 1999
• U.S. Distirct Court Western District of Tennessee, 2000
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 2002
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Georgia, 2003
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia, 2003
• Northern District of Florida, 2004

Boards / Committee Memberships

• National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives
• American Association for Justice
• Tennessee Association for Justice (member of Executive committee)
• Chattanooga Trial Lawyers Association

Significant Cases

Cooper v. Life Ins. Co. of N. Am., 486 F. 3d 157 (6th Cir. 2007).

Cooper v. Life Ins. Co. of N. Am., 2006 WL 1490983 (E.D. Tenn. 2006).

Green v. Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 383 F. Supp. 2d 980 (M.D. Tenn. 2005).

Matthews v. Sun Life Ass. Co. of Canada, 2007 WL 2823325 (E.D. Tenn. 2007).

Buchanan v. Apfel, 249 F. 3d 485 (6th Cir. 2001).

Buchanan v. Apfel, 69 F. Supp. 2d 996 (E.D. Tenn. 1999).

London v. Halter, 203 F. Supp. 2d 367 (E.D. Tenn. 2001).

Gisbrecht v. Barnhart, Brief of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives as Amicus Curiae in Support of the Petitioners, 2002 WL 100398.

• Free Initial Consultation - YES
• Typical Retainer Fee: Most cases are retained on contingency
• Fixed-Priced Services and Fees:
• Hourly Rate Fees: Depending on the Case

What influences led you to your primary area of practice and what life experience made you to be a better attorney?

After representing disabled people over 1150 times in Social Security hearings and hundreds of times in Federal Court, I have learned how to help disabled people get the benefits they deserve.

I love helping people getting the benefits they deserve and making insuarnce companies and the government pay those benefits. I don't like seeing insurance companies or Social Security taking advantage of disabled people.

Describe your law firm.

We are one of the few firms that focus in helping disabled people. We can handle both Social Security disability, disability insurance, and ERISA disability cases. I am certified as a Social Security disability specialist and are one of very few attorneys who handle ERISA long-term disability cases.