Building on a Family Legacy of Advocating for Injured Ohio Workers
David Knisley is an Attorney of Counsel at NRS Injury Law, focusing on workers’ compensation law. Now semi-retired, David draws on a lifetime of career experience to support NRS Injury Law, the firm’s practicing attorneys, and clients.
Four Generations of Relentless Support for the Working Men and Women of Ohio
“My first job was as a sanitation worker, but my path to law started long, long before I was born,” David began when asked to reflect on the days and decisions that led him to a career as a workers’ compensation attorney. “My grandfather, my dad’s dad, was one of the first commissioners of the Industrial Commission in Ohio. He played a crucial role in helping injured workers in Ohio back in the early and mid-20th century when attorneys and politicians were still working out the details of what the state’s workers’ compensation system was going to look like.”
By the time David was born, grandfather Clarence Hugh Knisley and father Scott Knisley were already deeply involved in helping injured Ohio workers. David grew up in a family of lawyers who were dedicated to advocating for those who could not advocate for themselves, and the experience left an impression.
“I worked manual labor jobs as a youth and I joined the Marine Corps after a stint at a military prep school in Kentucky, but I couldn’t get away from a calling to pursue a career in law,” David said. David served his country as a Marine from 1978 through 1982. He went to law school in the mid-1980s, graduated in 1988, passed the bar in 1989, and took a job at the family firm where he practiced with other members of the Knisley family until 2017.
Establishing Connections and Winning Cases for Injured Workers in Southern Ohio
“Grandfather, father, and me plus my brothers, we were all attorneys, and that’s three generations, but you’re probably wondering where the ‘fourth’ generation part of the Knisley family of attorneys comes into play,” David says, grinning with pride. “In 2017, I left the family law firm and went into private practice with my brilliant and talented daughter, Samantha J. Brush. We practiced law together until Samantha joined NRS Injury Law in 2025. I came along and joined the firm in 2026, so I guess you could say I’m the one following in her footsteps now.”
Bolstering Ohio’s Largest Workers’ Compensation Law Firm in an Of Counsel Role
In his Of Counsel role, David provides invaluable advice and support to the firm’s growing cohort of workers’ compensation attorneys, particularly in the firm’s efforts to help injured workers in southern Ohio.
“I’ve practiced in multiple legal fields, from workers’ comp to personal injury, criminal defense, and social security,” David says. “But wherever I went, something always drew me back to southern Ohio, and whatever I practiced, I was always drawn back to workers’ comp law. It’s definitely been a calling.”
According to David, one of his greatest strengths is his ability to form connections with working families in southern Ohio and his unending loyalty to them. David says many of the families he represents today are in fact intergenerational working families whose fathers and grandfathers were represented by David’s father and grandfather. “Nothing connects you to a people and a place like showing up for your neighbors, be it at the mediation table or at trial,” said David.
Work/Life Balance
“It’s been a while, but I love to fly airplanes,” David says. “More recently I’ve been going up when a friend needs someone to fly with them. We fly all around the Midwest and visit places like Traverse City and other picturesque towns. It’s a great way to relax while also practicing a valuable skill.”
In addition to his time in the cockpit, David is an active and devoted grandfather. He frequently travels to Europe and other international destinations with his children and grandchildren.
David Knisley and NRS Injury Law
David’s lifetime commitment to truth and justice and his willingness to put in the hard work and show up for workers who have suffered an injury through no fault of their own are traits that align with NRS Injury Law’s mission to: “Provide empathetic and patient service to every person who calls the firm, and to relentlessly pursue the best possible outcome on behalf of every client by putting collective experience, knowledge, and passion to work every day.” To retain an effective legal team with a proven track record and to speak with the firm about your case, call 855.468.4878 or fill out a convenient online contact form.
Practice Areas
- Workers’ Compensation Law
Education
- Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, Ada, Ohio
- J.D. – 1989
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- B.A. – 1977
- Major:
History
Bar Admissions
- Ohio, 1989
Current and Past Positions
- NRS Injury Law, 2026-present: (Of Counsel Attorney supporting NRS Injury Law’s practicing attorneys).
- The Bainbridge Firm, 2023-2026: (Attorney representing injured workers).
- Knisley Brush Law, 2017-2026: (Firm Owner and Attorney representing injured workers).
- Knisley Law Offices, 1984-2017: (Law Clerk, Attorney, and Partner representing clients in personal injury, social security disability, and workers’ compensation claims).
Community Impact
David has always been committed to southern Ohio communities. In 2018, he ran for Ross County Common Pleas Court judge. Though he lost that race, the experience inspired him to become more involved in his community. Through legal representation and community activities, David maintains close ties with families in places like Bainbridge, Chillicothe, Portsmouth, and Columbus.
