James C. Baker focuses his practice on the areas of casualty insurance defense, gas and electrical utility defense, railroad and trucking defense, and commercial and construction litigation.  He has first-chaired more than 125 jury trials to verdict and represented clients in more than 400 non-jury trials, arbitrations, and mediations.

J.C. has extensive experience in responding to real-time catastrophic accidents and leading accident scene investigations and inspections, including for trains, motor vehicles, tractor/trailers, and electrical utilities.  His experience in investigating and defending catastrophic accidents includes:

• Motor carrier and transportation litigation
• Driver negligence
• Hours of service, log falsification, and fatigue
• Loading and tie-down
• Speed
• Mechanical and maintenance defects
• Accident reconstruction
• Use of global positioning devices
• Use of electronic data recorders
• Human factors
• Biomechanical factors
• Catastrophic brain and orthopedic injuries
• Wrongful death
• Ptsd and mental anguish
• Toxicology
• Mass tort actions
• Spoliation issues
• Toxicology
• Utility lines
• Fire and explosion investigations
• Nfpa 921
• Federal motor carrier safety regulations
• Federal railroad and track safety standard regulations
• National electrical safety code
• National electrical code
• Federal and State Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Acts

J.C. regularly speaks on matters involving trial practice and workers’ compensation, addressing self-insureds, the Arkansas Bar Association, insurance companies, and trade and industry associations. 

• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Leflar Law Center, J.D., 1986
• Hendrix College, B.A., 1983

• Member, American Board of Trial Advocates
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, since 2011
  • Insurance Law
  • Personal Injury Litigations - Defendants

• Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
• Selected to the Mid-South Super Lawyers List, since 2013
• Recipient of the Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel Outstanding Defense Attorney Award, 2021-2022

Representatives Appeals 

• Jones Bros., Inc. v. Whitlock, 366 Ark. 254 (2006)
• Thornton v. Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corp., 95 Ark. App. 151 (Ark. App. 2006)
• CDI Contractors, LLC v. Allbrite Electrical Contractors, Inc.,780 So.2d 963 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) and on second appeal 836 So.2d 1031 (Fla. 5th DCA 2003)
• Stolze v. Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corp., 354 Ark. 601 (2003)
• Woodline Motor Freight v. Troutman Oil Company, 327 Ark. 448 (1997)

Representative Trials       

• Johnson v. First Electric Cooperative Corp., 2008.  Saline County, Arkansas, defense verdict in a wrongful death case arising out of an electrocution
• Cook v. Clarksville  Refrigerated Lines, 2006.  Conway County, Arkansas, defense verdict in a wrongful death and personal injury case arising out of a commercial motor vehicle accident
• DeWeese v. United Parcel Service, 2004.  Conway County, Arkansas, defense verdict in a wrongful death case arising out of a UPS package car accident and $5,000,000 verdict in favor of UPS driver on his counterclaim against the estate for personal injuries

• ACE Insurance Company
• Arkansas Electric Cooperative, Inc.
• CDI Contractors, LLC
• CenterPoint Energy
• Cigna Insurance Company
• Entergy Arkansas, Inc.
• Federated Rural Electric Ins. Co.
• Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
• Progressive Northwestern Ins. Co.
• Safeco Insurance Company
• Summit Utilities
• The largest Class One freight railroad in the country
• United Parcel Service

• DRI (formerly Defense Research Institute)
• American Board of Trial Advocates, Advocate
• American Bar Association
• Arkansas Bar Association
• Pulaski County Bar Association

• Arkansas, 1986
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas