Car accidents have a way of turning life upside down overnight. One day everything is normal, and the next, an injured person is fielding calls from insurance adjusters, missing work, and watching medical bills pile up while trying to heal. For many people in the St. Louis area, that is exactly the moment when they turn to Brent Sumner.
Attorney Brent Sumner is the managing partner of Sumner Law Group, LLC, based in St. Louis, Missouri. Licensed to practice in both Missouri and Illinois, his practice is built around one focus: representing injured people and their families when insurance companies try to shortchange them. Personal injury and car accident cases are what he does, and he does them well.
A Track Record That Speaks for Itself
Over the years, Brent has recovered tens of millions of dollars for clients through settlements and jury verdicts. People hire him because he gets results, and word travels fast in St. Louis about which attorneys actually deliver.
Brent has earned a reputation for being aggressive and tenacious when it counts. He is willing to take a case all the way to trial if that is what it takes to secure full and fair compensation. Insurance companies know this, which is often exactly why they choose to settle rather than face him in front of a jury.
That reputation extends well beyond the courtroom. In 2025, Super Lawyers named Brent one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Trial Lawyers in St. Louis, a peer reviewed honor earned by only about five percent of practicing attorneys nationwide. For 2026, Best Lawyers recognized him for his work in medical malpractice, personal injury litigation, and product liability litigation, placing him among the top five percent of attorneys in the country and the top three percent worldwide in those categories. He has held some version of this recognition every year since 2021, a track record that reflects consistency rather than a lucky break.
Taking on the Big Guys
One area where Brent has carved out a real niche is commercial trucking litigation. As home delivery has exploded in recent years, so has the number of people hurt in crashes involving 18 wheelers and other large commercial vehicles. Brent regularly goes after the trucking companies responsible, along with their insurers, and he has taken on major names in the industry, including Amazon, UPS, FedEx, Walmart, and Target.
In one notable case, Brent successfully sued FedEx in a wrongful death claim involving a contract carrier and an hourly delivery driver. The case settled for a confidential amount after Brent established negligence on the part of the company. He has made it something of a personal mission to study the policy manuals of large corporations and understand what obligations they carry when hiring third parties to make deliveries. When those companies cut corners and someone is hurt or killed, Brent works to hold them accountable.
Why Other Lawyers Send Their Cases to Brent
Brent is respected enough among his peers that some of the large TV advertising law firms, the ones with commercials running around the clock, hire him to try their most complex personal injury cases. That kind of trust from fellow attorneys says a great deal about his skill in the courtroom. Lawyers throughout Missouri and Illinois know him for his ability to take a complicated case and present it in a way that makes sense to a jury. His attorney profile on Avvo outlines this track record in more detail, including client reviews and peer endorsements.
Because he has secured so many significant verdicts across both states, insurance companies pay close attention whenever his name is attached to a claim. Many would rather negotiate a fair settlement than face a jury he has convinced before.
Beyond the courtroom skill, Brent brings genuine empathy to his work. He understands that clients recovering from a serious crash are dealing with far more than paperwork and phone calls. He takes the time to understand each person’s injuries and how their life has been affected, so he can serve as their voice and fight on their behalf.
A Well Rounded Background
Brent’s path to becoming one of the region’s top trial lawyers began with a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2002, followed by a Juris Doctorate from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2006, where he also earned a certificate in health law. That scientific background has proven especially valuable in cases involving medical malpractice and complex injuries, where understanding the underlying medicine can shape the outcome of a case.
He is admitted to practice in Missouri and Illinois, as well as the Eastern, Western, and Southern Districts of Missouri Federal Court and the Southern District of Illinois Federal Court. He belongs to the Missouri Bar and the Illinois State Bar Association, serves as a board member for the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, and holds membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Outside the courtroom, Brent remains active in the St. Louis community. He serves as a board member of the Ladue Education Foundation, which supports the Ladue School District, and he is involved with the Glennon Gallop Committee, which benefits Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.
The Results Tell the Story
The numbers behind Brent’s career speak for themselves. He has secured a six million dollar settlement stemming from a building collapse, a fourteen point two million dollar verdict for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a motorcycle crash, and a twenty five million dollar verdict on behalf of a man assaulted in a restaurant. He has also won a six million dollar settlement in a wrongful death truck crash case, a six hundred fifty thousand dollar verdict for a distracted driving accident that caused neck injuries, and a five hundred six thousand dollar verdict in a medical malpractice case.
Bottom Line
For anyone in the St. Louis area dealing with the aftermath of a car accident or another serious injury, having an experienced advocate matters. Brent Sumner has built a career going toe to toe with insurance companies and winning, backed by recognition from his peers, a long list of significant results, and a genuine commitment to the people he represents.
