Ken Riley

Partner

Brief Biography

Ken Riley is a founding partner of Farris Riley Injury Law and has represented injured Alabamians for nearly three decades, since being admitted to the Alabama State Bar in [1999]. He focuses his practice on trucking and commercial vehicle cases, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, nursing home abuse, and defective product cases, and has tried more than 100 cases to a jury verdict.

A native of Alexander City, Alabama, Ken earned his business degree from the University of Alabama and his Juris Doctor from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. That small-town upbringing shapes how he works a courtroom — he is as comfortable talking to an Alabama jury as he is cross-examining a corporate defense expert.

Ken has secured multiple multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for clients across Alabama, and he prepares every case as though it is going to trial. That preparation includes regularly conducting jury focus groups — testing how real jurors react to the facts of a case before it ever reaches a courtroom — a practice he wishes more personal injury firms would employ. It is one of the ways Ken’s team builds a case strategy around how it will actually be received, not just how it reads on paper.

Ken has no patience for big-company intimidation tactics, and he built his practice to meet them head-on. He regularly fights unreasonable hospital liens and subrogation claims on behalf of clients — a part of the recovery process insurance companies and hospital billing departments count on victims not understanding, and not fighting.

Ken’s commitment to injury victims is personal. Years ago, his grandmother was nearly killed by a negligent, distracted driver. His family nursed her back to health, but she was left with permanent disabilities. That experience — watching what a family goes through after someone else’s negligence changes everything — is what drives Ken’s compassion for his clients and his conviction in the courtroom. He knows firsthand what an injured person and their family are up against, because he has lived it.

Outside the office, Ken serves on the Board of Magic City Harvest which delivers food to hungry people, coaches little league and enjoys spending time with his family.

Educational Background

J.D., Cumberland School of Law, Samford University
B.S., University of Alabama

Professional Associations

Birmingham Bar Association: Co-chair of the Diversity/Inclusivity Committee (2015)
American Bar Association
Alabama State Bar Association: Disciplinary Rules and Enforcement Committee 2017-2019
Alabama Association for Justice: President (2016-2017), Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Former Chairman of the Emerging Leaders, Champion of Justice, TRIAL Trustee
American Association for Justice: Member of Public Affairs Committee 2010-present, Former State Delegate
Leadership Birmingham: Class of 2019
Injury Board Member