Kenneth M. Suggs - Columbia, SC
Attorney at Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC
Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Columbia, SC
801 Gervais Street Suite B Columbia, SC 29201
- Free Consultation
- 1 Super Lawyers®
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51
Years
Experience
Columbia Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Updated: 03/26/2026
Areas of Practice
- Medical Malpractice
Attorney Information
Overview
Kenneth M. Suggs, a principal in the firm of Janet, Janet & Suggs, has been a tireless champion of consumer legal rights for over 40 years. Known for his advocacy in the areas of medical malpractice, product liability, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death, he has been recognized nationally as one of the nation's finest trial lawyers.
As head of the firm's Personal Injury Division and a leader on medical malpractice teams, Ken has an in-depth understanding of how serious injuries from highway collisions to workplace injuries to doctor errors can impact the health and well-being of a person. He has sought and won justice for many, ranging from infants who suffered severe birth injuries to families severely burned in an 18-wheeler crash. Some of the judgments and verdicts he has won were against major corporations, including Fortune 500 corporations.
Suggs has held a broad range of leadership positions in many organizations devoted to law and education, including President of the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America) from 2005-2006, and president of the South Carolina Association for Justice. In 2016, he received the prestigious War Horse Award from the Southern Trial Lawyers Association.
Suggs is routinely recognized as being among the top attorneys in the country. He has been listed among Best Lawyers in America® for more than 25 years in the areas of mass torts, medical malpractice, personal injury and product liability litigation. His other Best Lawyers® awards include Lawyer of the Year - Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs, Columbia, SC, 2016, 2012, 2010; and Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year - Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, Columbia, SC, 2014, 2009.
Mr. Suggs has been named to South Carolina Super Lawyers since it was developed in 2008. In 2009, he was recognized as South Carolina Super Lawyer's® Top Point Getter.
He has been honored with the American Association for Justice Harry Philo Award and the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association Founders Award, both in 2007, and the American Bar Association's Torts and Insurance Practice Section's "Pursuit of Justice" award in 2008.
He also serves on the American Board of Trial Advocates and carries a Martindale-Hubbell® AV® PreeminentTM rating, the highest given.
Mr. Suggs is the 2006 recipient of the "Advocate of the Year" award presented by the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center. He also attained recognition as a Fellow of the National College of Advocacy; he currently serves on the Advisory Board for Best Lawyers in America and the Executive Committee of the Lawyers Committee for the National Center for State Courts.
He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1975, and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Clemson University in 1968. He has served on the Clemson University President's Advisory Committee and Board of Visitors. Before attending law school, he served in the United States Navy, including two years in the Vietnam War.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Lawdragon, 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers – 2022-2024
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 1991 - 2024
- South Carolina Super Lawyers® 2008-2024
- Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™
- Best Lawyers® 2010, 2012, 2016 Lawyer of the Year – Product Liability Litigation, Plaintiffs – Columbia, SC
- Best Lawyers® 2009, 2014 Lawyer of the Year – Personal Injury Litigation, Plaintiffs – Columbia, SC
- 2016 War Horse Award – Southern Trial Lawyers Association
- The Best Lawyers in America® 2010 Lawyer of the Year, South Carolina
- South Carolina Super Lawyers® 2008 Lawyer of the Year
- American Association for Justice – 2005-2006 President
- Founders Award from South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, 2006
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- LinkedIn – Top 1% Most Endorsed in United States for Litigation
- The Summit Council – Top Civil Justice Attorneys
- South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association President’s Award, 1988
- South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association, “Compleat Lawyer” Award
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff, 2024
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 25 Medical Malpractice, 2024
Other Sources of Feedback About Kenneth M. Suggs
Included on the 2026 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2024 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2023 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2022 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2021 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2020 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2019 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2018 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2017 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2016 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2015 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2014 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2013 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2012 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2011 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2010 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2009 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
- 2008 South Carolina Super Lawyers list
Education
-
Legal Education
- University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, South Carolina, 1975
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Non Legal Education
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Clemson University, 1968
B.A.
Major: Economics
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Clemson University, 1968
Current Employment Position(s)
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Litigation Principal
Pro Bono Activities
- Board of Directors, Carolina Sunshine Children, Inc.
- Team Captain, Trinity Cathedral Free Breakfast Program
- Advisory Board, City Year Columbia
- Advisory Board, South Carolina Center for Capital Litigation
- Advisory Board, South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
- Advisory Board, St. Lawrence Place
- Member, South Carolina Commission on Judicial Conduct
- President’s Advisory Council, Clemson University
Published Works
Articles
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Author, “The Heart of Darkness: The Modern Nursing Home,” S.C.T.L.A. Bulletin, September, 1986
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Author, “Failure Analysis of a Plastic Boat Seat,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Pub. 87-DE-8
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Author, “Recovery for Emotional Distress,” S.C.T.L.A. Bulletin, January, 1984
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Author, “Secret Settlements,” South Carolina Lawyer, November – December, 1993
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Co-author, South Carolina Appellate Practice Handbook
- Co-author, Evaluating and Settling Personal Injury Claims in South Carolina
- Co-author, The Law of Automobile Insurance in South Carolina
Bar Admissions
- South Carolina, 1975
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Other Affiliations
- Association of Medical Malpractice Attorneys, Board of Directors, 2025-present
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association, 2025 - 2026 (President)
- Lawdragon, 2022 - 2024 (500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers)
- American Association for Justice, President 2005-2006
- The Summit Council
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
- South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, President, 1980 – 1981
- South Carolina Bar, Young Lawyers Division, President, 1980
- Richland County Bar Association, President, 1999
- South Carolina Bar, House of Delegates, 1982 and 1996 – 1997
- Public Justice Foundation, executive committee, 2009
- Founding Fellow, Southern Trial Lawyers Association
- Advocate, American Board of Trial Advocates
Photo
Contact
801 Gervais Street
Suite B
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 410-538-2851
Fax: (803) 727-1059
Email: Send a message
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