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Carter A. Downs is a skilled and dedicated personal injury attorney who represents individuals and families who have suffered catastrophic injuries and wrongful death as a result of defective products, automobile accidents, negligent drivers, commercial trucking accidents, premises liability, and negligent security. His diverse litigation background and experience defending catastrophic injury claims give him a strategic advantage in high-stakes plaintiff litigation.
Immediately before joining Clark Fountain, Carter defended individuals and businesses in catastrophic injury and auto-negligence cases. This experience gave him direct insight into how defense attorneys and insurance carriers evaluate liability, build their cases, and attempt to minimize recoveries. Carter now uses that knowledge to anticipate and challenge defense tactics, manage expert strategy, and present fact-driven, persuasive claims designed to maximize compensation for his clients.
Carter began his legal career handling complex real estate and commercial matters at a nationally recognized AmLaw 200 firm, where he assisted with the purchase, sale, and development of residential and commercial properties. Carter then transitioned to representing businesses, organizations, and individuals in a broad range of civil matters, including commercial disputes and transactions. Carter’s experience drafting purchase and sale agreements, conducting due diligence, and handling entity formation and development agreements further deepened his ability to navigate legal complexity across disciplines.
Carter’s experience also includes 5 years as a public defender representing individuals through all stages of the criminal process in two of Florida’s busiest circuits. During his time as a public defender, Carter first chaired 20+ jury trials, obtaining numerous favorable verdicts for his clients. Most recently, Carter practiced at a civil defense firm, where he focused on auto-negligence and catastrophic injury defense litigation.
Carter graduated magna cum laude from Florida State University College of Law, where he ranked in the top 10% of his class. While in law school, he served on both the Law Review and the Moot Court team, and received Book Awards in Legal Writing and Immigration Law. He was also honored with the Guyte P. McCord and Blank Miller Legal Scholarships. Carter earned his Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, in Political Science from Appalachian State University, where he was a Division I athlete on the varsity wrestling team and a three-time recipient of the Southern Conference All-Academic Team Award.
Carter’s ability to manage fact-intensive claims, handle multi-party litigation, and approach every case with both trial readiness and analytical precision makes him a powerful advocate for clients facing life-changing injuries. His breadth of experience allows him to see cases from multiple angles, making him an integral part of the firm’s mission to hold powerful defendants accountable and secure justice for those who need it most.
