THERE ARE MANY PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS TO CHOOSE FROM. FEW HAVE OUR TRACK RECORD.
We’ve won thousands of car and 18-wheeler accident, dram shop, personal injury, and wrongful death cases. Below are some examples of our recent case recoveries obtained through settlements and jury verdicts.
Recovery
SERIOUS BRAIN INJURY / 3RD-PARTY DRAM SHOP
We represented a family who suffered catastrophic injuries after they were struck by a drunk driver who was nearly three times the legal limit to operate a vehicle.
During the course of the investigation, we discovered that the drunk driver in question had been unlawfully served by two different restaurants prior to the crash.
Despite initial resistance from the restaurants, we were able to show that they broke the law and their actions led directly to the events that caused a mother to lose an eye and her son to suffer a life-altering brain injury. As a result, both restaurants agreed to settle the case for an amount that satisfied our clients.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / 3RD-PARTY DRAM SHOP
Our firm litigated on behalf of a family whose vehicle was struck by a drunk driver, who was 2 and 1/2 the times the legal limit to drive. As a result of the accident, a father lost his life, while his wife and two children suffered life-altering investigation.
During our investigation, we discovered that the drunk driver had left a bar 15 minutes prior to the crash. While the bar denied any wrongdoing, we were able to amass a mountain of evidence, including drink receipts and testimony from witnesses drinking with the intoxicated driver.
At the end of the day, the defendants saw the writing on the wall and came to terms with the family.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / PREMISES LIABILITY
Facility sued for negligent contribution to the death of an innocent bystander. A fatal shooting occurred on the property after the facility failed to appropriately respond to outbursts of violence & gang activity. Following the young man's death, his parents hired our firm to pursue the facility for their negligent actions including failure to provide adequate security. The case was successfully resolved through litigation.
Recovery
SERIOUS BRAIN INJURY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
We were hired by a motorcyclist who suffered a serious brain injury after he was involved in a crash with an 18-wheeler. Despite a police investigation that put the commercial truck driver squarely at fault, the truck driver and his attorneys denied that he did anything wrong. They went so far as to insist that the police investigation was completely incorrect and that motorcyclist caused his own injuries. We hired one of the nation's leading accident reconstructionists to get to the bottom of what really happened. The expert concurred with the police investigation and after some tense negotiations, the case was resolved to our client's satisfaction.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Following a fatal 18-wheeler accident, the family of a deceased woman hired Grossman Law Offices to investigate the matter and report our findings. The family initially knew very little about what happened in the accident, only that the mother of the family was killed and that there was an 18-wheeler involved. Our attorneys mobilized immediately upon being hired, and, along with our accident reconstructionist, conducted a thorough analysis of the scene. Early in the case, it became apparent what had happened: The driver of an 18-wheeler made an abrupt lane change, forcing our client's car into the grass median of the interstate. Once the vehicle drove into the grass, traction was lost, causing the car to swerve back onto the highway wherein the vehicle then struck a parked 18-wheeler. It was obvious that our clients had a case, and they instructed us to move forward with a wrongful death suit. However, what was less clear is which trucking company was primarily responsible. On one hand, it could be argued that the initial 18-wheeler set the whole chain of events into motion when that driver made an illegal lane change. On the other hand, the second 18-wheeler was illegally parked in an emergency lane, in violation of federal statute, and it could easily be said that if he had not been parked there, the victim would have lived since the car would have just been able to come to a stop on the road's shoulder. Naturally, this fact pattern created an opportunity for the two trucking companies to point the finger at one another. Our attorneys aggressively litigated the case, never allowing either defendant to escape responsibility for their contribution to the accident. Further, it would be a monumental understatement to suggest that this case took a lot of effort to successfully resolve. Our attorneys took the depositions of dozens of people involved, travelling to several different states in the process. Further, we invested many hundreds of hours of man power into the case. Our philosophy was simple: if we allow the defendants a moment to catch their breath, they will treat the case as less of a priority. So, from the very beginning until the the case was resolved, we made sure that no time passed from one milestone to the next. Eventually, the defendants relented and the case was resolved on the courthouse steps. From start to finish, a case that ordinarily would take most firms years to litigated, was resolved in 13 months, due entirely to our attorneys' diligence.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
We represented the husband of a woman who was killed in an 18-wheeler accident. The wreck occurred when the truck driver was speeding around a corner, lost control, and drove into oncoming traffic. The defendants initially tried to blame the accident on the weather, then on the truck's tires, then on the victim's supposed failure to take evasive manuevers. We performed an accident reconstruction and were able to demonstrate that the victim could not possibly have done more to avoid the accident, that the truck's tires were within spec, and that he could have safely executed the turn, even in the rain, if he had driven his vehicle at a safe speed. The defendants soon asked to mediate the case and the case was successfully resolved.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Our attorneys were hired to pursue a wrongful death truck accident case following a fatal wreck in West Texas. This case was certainly important to our firm, the same as any other wrongful death case, but it took on a new level of significance because of the horrific injustice that almost occurred thanks to a botched police investigation. As we ultimately learned from analyzing the physical evidence and from talking to numerous witnesses who all told the same story, the accident occurred as a large oilfield truck entered I-20, immediately cutting across multiple lanes and into the "fast lane," wherein this truck forced a small passenger car off of the roadway and into oncoming traffic, causing a fatal head-on collision. As if that was not bad enough, the truck driver then fled the scene. However, the police report told a completely different (and utterly inaccurate) story. Essentially, the police made it sound like the deceased passenger car driver (our clients' father) just arbitrarily left the roadway and crashed into the other vehicle, killing himself in the process. The family thought that did not sound right, and they brought us into the case soon after the accident, which proved to be one of the most important decisions they ever made. Since we were able to conduct a thorough investigation while the evidence was still available, we were able to identify that the police figured the accident all wrong. Our research soon led us to eye witnesses to the accident. Said witnesses, an entire family sharing a minivan, all saw the same thing. They explained how the driver of the commercial vehicle ran the other car off the road and then fled, but they also explained how they pursued the commercial truck driver and took down his license plate information. Once the driver realized they were following them, he tried to run them too off the road. These witnesses then helped us identify other witnesses who were at the scene, and as more and more good Samaritans came forward, we were able to completely dispel the "official" version of what happened in the accident. Nevertheless, since the police report ultimately showed an inaccurate fact pattern, the defendants were emboldened, and they denied liability in the case for many months. Eventually, we uncovered evidence that showed that the truck driver A) had worked nearly 80 hours in five days, B) was likely on drugs at the time of the accident, C) had attempted to tamper with witness testimony, and D) that he likely conspired with his employer to cover his tracks. Once we got this evidence under the spotlight, the defendants accepted responsibility, and the case was resolved soon thereafter.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Our firm was hired after a woman lost her husband of 10 years, due to the carelessness of a truck driver. Our client's husband, a truck driver himself, was killed when the driver of a different tractor trailer failed to yield the right of way and cut him off, forcing the decedent to collide into the trailer of the other rig. Our client was absolutely devastated by the loss of her husband. She not only suffered severe emotional distress, she also endured financial upheaval, because her husband was the sole breadwinner. Despite being entirely in the wrong, the defendants tried to invoke several "novel" defense theories to downplay their liability. Our attorneys were able to defeat these arguments, early on in the case, and the defedants were left with only one viable argument: the victim was not wearing his seatbelt. This was a fallacious argument for two reasons; One, the damage to the victim's tractor was so severe that no one could conclusively determine whether he was wearing his seatbelt or not; Second, because of the severity of the impact, wearing a seatbelt would have made no difference. In order to refute this argument, we took a two-pronged approach. We hired a medical doctor who provided an opinion to dispell the myth that the decent woudl have survived had he being wearing his seatbelt. And more importantly, we filed the case in a venue where evidence about seatbelt usage was inadmissable. After a few rounds of depositions that did not go well for the defendants, they came to the table and offered to mediate. The case was settled at mediation. Prior to his passing, the decedent worked very hard to provide for his family, so that his wife did not have to work, and would be able to pursue her dream of a college education. Resolving this case favorably helped our client see this dream come true.
Recovery
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT / BRAIN INJURY
Our attorneys recovered $4,000,000.00 for a man who as injured in an accident between a commercial vehicle and a motorcycle. The victim sustained serious bodily injuries and a head injury.
Recovery
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY / THIRD-PARTY DRAM
We were hired by the family of a young man who suffered a life-altering traumatic brain injury due to a car wreck. The incident occurred after the young man left a bar where he had been over-served. The defendants took the position that there was no proof that he was obviously intoxicated at the time that they served him. After a protracted legal battle, we were able to obtain video footage which showed the young man on the premises in an intoxicated state. The defendants then argued that the volume of alcohol they sold him was insignificant. We successfully argued that the law does not hold them liable when they serve too much alcohol. Rather, it holds them liable when they serve any amount of alcohol to someone whom they can tell is obviously intoxicated, irrespective of where the alcohol came from. The court agreed with our interpretation, and the matter was resolved soon thereafter.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / WORKPLACE ACCIDENT
Major freight train company sued as the result of an incident which claimed the life of an employee. Our attorneys settled the case outside of court for a confidential amount.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT
(policy limits) Our firm was hired to pursue an intoxicated driver who killed an elderly school crossing guard. The fatal accident occurred as the decedent was escorting a woman and her child across the roadway through a crosswalk. The defendant then sped through the school zone, in an intoxicated a state, and struck the decedent who died on the scene.
The family hired our firm to investigate and pursue the defendant under a wrongful death cause of action. Following our investigation and preliminary vehicle inspection, our attorneys issued a Stowers demand to the defendants. A significant factor in resolving this claim is that merely days before we submitted our demand to the defendant' insurance carrier, we won a large case against the very same insurance carrier, which was one of several such victories secured against the carrier in our firm's history. Our threats of litigation were therefore heeded and the defendants offered policy limits to settle the claim without the need to file suit.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
Our firm was contacted by an out-of-state attorney who represented the family of a Georgia man who was killed while in Texas. The lawyer explained that the man lost his life in an 18-wheeler accident, and the family had tasked the lawyer with finding a firm in Texas to represent them. After extensive research, the attorney selected our firm.
Now, there was a major problem with the case: the police report put the victim 100% at fault for the wreck. The police claimed that he was speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, and ultimately killed himself when he ran his motorcycle into the back of an 18-wheeler. The referring attorney explained that the family didn't believe that the decedent would be so reckless and that something must be wrong with the police report. We explained to the referring attorney that we would be glad to look into it, but we would drop the matter if the evidence corroborated the police report, since we're not in the business of pursuing frivolous cases. He understood and agreed.
We soon began to suspect that the police report was wrong. We spoke to the witnesses whom the police report claimed had seen the decedent riding his motorcycle recklessly. They all said that the police misquoted them or flat-out made up what was in the report. Case in point, one gentleman, himself a tractor trailer driver, was quoted in the police report as saying that the victim sped by at twice the speed limit. The witness said that was all wrong. What he actually told the police, he insisted, was that the witness passed going twice as fast as he (the witness) was, only the witness was driving a heavy vehicle and was therefore only going about half the speed limit. So, the motorcyclist wasn't going fast, the witness was going slow.
We continued to get testimony from other witnesses, and they all said the same thing: the investigating officer misquoted them. We soon learned that the officer who made the report wasn't actually the one who spoke to the witnesses. He sent a rookie officers to get statements from the witnesses and then relied on the rookie's notes to make his report. Something got lost in translation, apparently. To his credit, when we deposed the officer and presented him with our findings, he was honorable, admitted his mistake, and changed his official position.
But this still left one problem unsolved. Even if the motorcyclist wasn't speeding or riding recklessly, he still crashed into the back of an 18-wheeler, so how would that be anyone's fault but his own. Unfortunately for the trucking company, the 18-wheeler involved in the wreck had a sophisticated GPS device installed, and we were able to use the authority of the court to obtain the device's data. This particular GPS hardware would record the truck's position once every ten seconds and then store it internally. Armed with this GPS data, we were able to map out the truck driver's path.
As it turned out, the truck driver had lied under oath about how the accident happened. He claimed that he drove down a long road that connected a sporting goods store's parking lot to a highway access road, came to a stop at the end of the road for several seconds, and then slowly turned onto a lane that soon merged into the flow of traffic. Then, all of a sudden, the motorcyclist hit him from behind. The GPS data showed that this was all a lie. What actually happened is that he came flying down the connecting road, blew through the stop sign, and then turned immediately into traffic, not into the lane that merged with traffic.
In short, he cut the motorcyclist off, and the motorcyclist couldn't avoid hitting the 18-wheeler.
The trucking company's accident reconstructionist originally defended the truck driver's story. But when we showed him the GPS data and how it showed a ping which located the truck about 200 feet from the intersection and then pinged again (ten seconds later) at the point of impact, the trucking company's own expert was forced to agree that there's no way the truck driver would've had time to cover that distance and come to a stop in ten seconds, meaning he must have ran the stop sign.
The trucking company soon settled with our clients. While this was not the biggest case we've ever had, it demonstrates what our attorneys are capable of. Unquestionably, most attorneys would have given up as soon as they saw a police report that was problematic. But we followed the evidence and were ultimately able to help our clients obtain fair compensation for their loss.
Recovery
WORKPLACE ACCIDENT / TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / PRODUCT LIABILITY ACCIDENT
In this case, we represented the family of a middle-aged woman who was killed in a car accident. The incident occurred as another vehicle struck the car that the decedent was a passenger in head-on on the passenger side. The impact resulted in catastrophic injuries which claimed the life of the decedent. Our attorneys were hired soon after the accident and we launched a full investigation.
Through the course of our investigation, it was soon determined that the head-on collision was caused by a failed component in the defendant's vehicle (the particulars of which cannot be elaborated upon per the resolution agreement). Suit was filed against the manufacturer of said component and litigation commenced. The case was successfully resolved through litigation.
Through the course of our investigation, it was soon determined that the head-on collision was caused by a failed component in the defendant’s vehicle (the particulars of which cannot be elaborated upon per the resolution agreement). Suit was filed against the manufacturer of said component and litigation commenced. The case was successfully resolved through litigation.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / 18-WHEELER ACCIDENT
We represented the family of a man who was killed when his vehicle was struck from behind by a commercial vehicle. As a result of the crash, our clients' loved one was pushed in the the trailer of another 18-wheeler. He died as a result of his injuries.
Despite initial attempts to blame our client's loved one for causing his own crash, we were able to should through an accident reconstruction that he was totally blameless. In fact, our investigation proved that the driver who rear-ended him was completely at fault. Soon after the case reached a satisfactory conclusion for the family.
Recovery
MULTIPLE SERIOUS BODILY INJURIES / THIRD PARTY DRAM SHOP
Our client was struck by a drunk driver in east Texas. He barely survived the accident, sustaining life-altering injuries in the process. We traced the drunk driver's alcohol service to a local bar and hold them accountable for their role in the crash.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / DRAM SHOP
This case involved a fatal drunken driving accident after an intoxicated bar patron crashed his vehicle, resulting in the death of a passenger.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
An elderly man was killed when a criminally negligent truck driver rear ended his vehicle as the man yielded the right of way to other traffic. Throughout the course of litigation the defendants fought to deny liability. Through our diligent investigative efforts we unearthed damning evidence and mounted an aggressive litigation strategy. Arguments were so persuasive that by the conclusion of litigation the defendant's attorneys acquiesced wholly with regard to liability.
Recovery
LOST LIMB / NON-SUBSCRIBER WORK ACCIDENT
A man who worked for a non-subscriber lost his leg below the knee after being struck by a forklift on the job.
Recovery
WORKPLACE ACCIDENT / LEG AMPUTATION
A factory worker lost a leg in an accident with a piece of heavy machinery. Our firm sued the company and recovered $2,500,000 for our client
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / 18-WHEELER
A family contacted us for help after and 18-wheeler driver back over their loved one's car, killing him in the process. In spite of criminal charges against the truck driver, the driver and his employer denied any responsibility for the crash.
Our investigation uncovered significant, embarrassing evidence against the truck driver and his employer, which helped to resolve the case.
Recovery
LEG AMPUTATION / WORKPLACE ACCIDENT
Recovery
SERIOUS BODILY INJURY / WORKPLACE ACCIDENT
A worker suffered a catastrophic injury at his workplace. The employer did not participate in workers' compensation. We represented the injured worker and resolved the case for an undisclosed amount.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / DRAM SHOP
We were hired to represent the family of a man who was killed in an accident after he was grossly over served at a DFW-area bar. The bar served the decedent to the point that he was dangerously intoxicated. The evidence showed that they knew he was incredibly drunk, yet continued to serve him, a clear violation of Texas liquor liability laws. Soon after leaving the bar, the decedent was involved in a rollover accident. He climbed out of the vehicle and was struck by another motorist. The family hired another law firm, who recognized that there may be a dram shop case, yet they had no first-hand experience pursuing such cases. They knew of our firm's reputation and referred the case to us, after other attorneys had told them that a case like this was unwinnable. We were able to prove otherwise and are now that firm's go-to source for any dram shop cases that come their way.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
The family of a deceased woman hired our firm following a fatal 18-wheeler accident. The accident occurred as the driver of an 18-wheeler lost control of his vehicle and veered out of his lane, resulting in a massive collision. The decedent, a passenger in a vehicle, died on the scene. Her adult children consulted our firm to initially investigate the accident and make sense of the facts and circumstances surrounding the wreck, since the family felt that the police report did not make clear precisely what occurred.
We launched a full investigation and immediately deposed the investigating officers. Upon the completion of our investigation, it was apparent that the trucking company was indeed negligent and a lawsuit was soon filed. The defendant's mounted an aggressive defense whereby they initially claimed that the truck driver was overcome by his passenger whom they alleged grabbed the steering wheel and deliberately drove the truck off the road, despite the truck driver's best efforts. We refuted this claim by illustrating that the tire marks that were present clearly showed that the truck gradually moved across the roadway and eventually onto the grass, which is entirely inconsistent with an abrupt lane change caused by someone taking control of the wheel. It was quite an unusual defense strategy, and, frankly, we were a little surprised that a defendant would make such an absurd claim.
The defendants then argued that a tire blowout may have contributed to the accident, which is significant because it would enable the defendant to offset some portion of their liability to the tire manufacturer or installer. The problem we faced was that the salvage yard who towed the truck destroyed the wreckage before we were hired in the case. If the truck still existed, it would have been easy for us to examine the tires and make a conclusive determination. But since the truck no longer existed, this provided the defendants with a perfect scapegoat defense. However, through deposition testimony of the investigating officer, we established that there was absolutely no indication at the scene of the accident that a tire had blown out, severely weakening their ability to argue this defense.
Finally, the defendants argued that the company which loaded the trailer may have done so inappropriately. This argument was more plausible than the others considering that the precise cause of the decedent's death was that she was essentially pummeled by cargo that broke through trailer and struck her person. Our firm consulted several experts in the fields of heavy cargo transportation and physics. Our experts felt that the cargo was secured in a manner that is perfectly consistent with industry standards, and that, due to the forces involved, the cargo would not have behaved any differently irrespective of how it was secured. In short, the collision caused the cargo to break free and the negligence lay squarely on the trucking company and not any other entity. The case was successfully resolved through litigation.
Recovery
SERIOUS BRAIN INJURY / WORK ACCIDENT
Our firm was hired by a man who suffered a serious brain injury after a fall on the job. Our attorneys were able to successfully prove that the person directing the employee's activities had instructed him to use a dangerous and unstable ladder instead of an interior stairwell to access the roof. Because of this decision, the victim used the ladder which slipped out from under him, resulting in a 20+ foot fall and subsequent serious injuries. The money recovered was able to help the injured man provide for his family.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / DRAM SHOP
This case involved a gentleman who was killed when he was struck by a drunk driver, while standing on the side of the road. Earlier in the evening, a pair of habitual drinkers visited their favorite restaurant. They were regular customers of this establishment and tipped well, so the servers bent the rules for them on a regular basis. The drinkers' M.O. was to patronize this establishment on a weekend, drink to excess, and then sleep it off in the hotel next door. The servers felt liberated to these customers an obscene amount of alcohol, because they believed they would always go straight from the restaurant to the hotel. On the night in question, the drunken customers decided instead to go home. The victim of the accident was helping his college-aged daughter put gas in her stranded vehicle on the side of the highway. Though he was safely off the roadway, he was struck anyhow, because the drunken driver was so intoxicated that he got target fixation and veered directly into the parked car. The victim's daughter witnessed his demise. The victim left behind his wife of 20+ years and 3 children. The family hired an attorney who was a family friend. Said attorney was able to help them recover monies from the defedent's auto liability policy, but felt uncomfortable pursuing a case against the restaurant. The attorney then encouraged his clients to hire us. We were able to take the ball and run with it. This was a hard-fought case, wherein the defendents insisted that their practice of serving special customers to such an extreme degree that they were falling down drunk was an acceptable way for a bar to operate, if they were pretty sure that the customer wouldn't drive a car. Of course, that is not how Texas law works. After appromixately a year of litigation, we were able to successfully resolve the case for our clients.
Recovery
SERIOUS BRAIN INJURY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE (TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY)
An oilfield worker was driving into work out in West Texas. There was a light fog and it was just before dawn. Without warning, this gentleman struck the trailer of a truck that had blocked the entire highway, while making a left-hand turn. Our client suffered catastrophic facial fractures, a traumatic brain injury, and ended up in a coma. After numerous life-saving surgeries, the gentleman's family and children came to see him at the hospital. His younger children refused to see their father, because his injuries scared them so badly. The family reached out to our attorneys and quickly hired us to hold the trucking company accountable. Despite the defendant's obvious fault, they were determined to put up a fight and avoid responsibility. First, they alleged that the victim had been speeding, and that that's what had really caused the crash. We were able to prove this was not the case, because the speedometer had frozen at the time of the crash and showed that our client was traveling below the speed limit. When this failed, they alleged that the client wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Our attorneys reached out to the EMS technicians who responded to the crash, who testified that they had to cut our clients seatbelt in order to get him out of the car and treat him. Another defense was rebutted. When it came time to go on offense, we were able to come up with damning evidence of the trucking company's negligence. When we interviewed the company's safety compliance officer, who was in jail on a DUI conviction, we determined that the truck driver in the crash wasn't properly evaluated during the hiring process. Most importantly, an examination of the driver's vehicle showed that the high-visibility tape on the truck's trailer was caked in mud and could not be seen. This is the very piece of safety equipment that is supposed to prevent these kinds of crashes, and it wasn't there. Confronted with this evidence and some depositions that didn't go well for their side, the trucking company saw the writing on the wall and settled the case.
Recovery
SERIOUS BRAIN INJURY / DRAM SHOP
Our firm was contacted by the parents of a young man who had suffered a serious brain injury after a slip and fall due to intoxication. We learned that the victim had gone to a bar where he had been served despite being obviously intoxicated. The night in question was a holiday, so the bar essentially bent the rules and was serving customers when they knew they should cut them off.
The victim's mother worked in the insurance industry and understood the challenge of winning such a case. So, she conducted extensive research and learned of our firm's track record in pursuing first-party dram shop cases. We were ultimately able to recover the money necessary to help her injured son.
Recovery
BAD FAITH INSURANCE
Plaintiff alleged that an insurance carrier unfairly denied a claim, resulting from a non-fatal fire in an airplane.
Our attorneys satisfactorily resolved the claim without the need for litigation.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY
Recovery
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Our firm was hired by a delivery driver who was involved in a head-on collision, causing him to suffer a closed that resulted in the permanent loss of smell. The incident occurred as the driver of an 18-wheeler lost control of his vehicle and veered into oncoming traffic. Our client’s delivery vehicle was struck head-on, causing massive damage to both vehicles. Our client was taken to an area hospital where he was treated for minor bodily injuries and a closed head injury which originally manifested itself as a concussion and temporary memory loss.
Suit was filed against the defendants following their failure to respond to our correspondence in a timely manner and litigation began. Included in the suit were both the defendant truck driver and his employer. The results of our investigation and the physical evidence from the accident scene made it apparent that the defendants had indeed caused the accident. Defense counsel soon conceded liability and the case was resolved through litigation.
Recovery
BRAIN INJURY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
A man who had been seriously injured after being rear-ended by a commercial truck hired our firm to litigate his case.
During the course of the investigation, we were able to gather evidence showing that the truck driver who struck his vehicle was under the influence at the time of the crash. Shortly, thereafter, the case was resolved.
Recovery
BRAIN INJURY / 3RD-PARTY DRAM SHOP
After he was struck by a drunk driver, while riding his motorcycle, and suffering a traumatic brain injury, a man reached out to our firm for help.
We were able to determine that the drunk driver who struck him had been overserved at two bars that evening.
The bars initially denied any wrongdoing, but they couldn't keep up that charade once, they were confronted with their own surveillance video, which showed the drunk driver stumbling, confronting other patrons, and eventually getting into an argument with one of the bar's managers.
The mountain of evidence against the bars quickly convinced them to resolve the case.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / 1ST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
A young woman was overserved at a bar before she subsequently was involved in a fatal sing-vehicle crash.
We were hired by the family to pursue their claim.
Recovery
IN-UTERO BRAIN INJURY / AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT
(policy limits) Recovery for a child who suffered an in-utero brain injury as a result of a rollover car accident.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM
A young woman died after being served more than twice the legal limit by a bar. The family contacted and retained our firm to hold the bar accountable for the bar's role in their daughter's death.
Our investigation revealed that not only did the bar serve the young woman well past the legal limit, they didn't even bother to check her ID which showed she wasn't old enough to buy alcohol in the first place.
Armed with this evidence, we resolved the case for our clients.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
(policy limits) Our firm was hired by the wife and children of a retired Army Colonel who was killed in an under-ride 18-wheeler accident. In addition to being a decorated veteran, the decedent worked both professionally and on a voluntary basis to establish numerous learning institutions and vocational programs for at risk youths.
The accident occurred as the decedent was traveling on a rural highway when an 18-wheeler failed to yield the right of way and made a rolling stop through a stop sign. This placed the trailer of the 18-wheeler in a position whereby it blocked the entire roadway and shoulder, leaving the decedent no option but to collide with the trailer. Witnesses on the scene attempted to revive him but to no avail. Furthermore, while two female eye witnesses struggled to pry open the decedent's door to provide emergency care, the truck driver stayed in his truck and offered no assistance.
Despite what appeared to be an incredibly apparent case of negligence on behalf of the defendant, defense counsel refused to accept liability resulting in rather lengthy litigation. The defendants initially denied the claim based on the allegation that the decedent was speeding and the truck driver therefore could not adequately gauge the amount of time he had to pause at the stop sign. The physical evidence contradicted this notion entirely, notwithstanding the fact that even if the decedent had been contributorily negligent, that would not have outweighed the severe degree of negligence on the part of the defendant. Nevertheless, our attorneys were able to conclusively refute this argument based on eye-witness testimony and the testimony from police investigators who calculated the decedent's speed to be precisely at the posted speed limit.
In a desperate and largely unprecedented move, the defendants then designated the state as a responsible third party. Generally speaking, a defendant will often threaten to designate a third party in order to leverage their position but it is rare that such an arbitrary and arguably frivolous designation is actually carried out. However, that is precisely what occurred and the state was thusly incorporated into the lawsuit by the defendants. The basis of the defendant's argument was that the state erected a large street sign that obstructed the truck driver's view of approaching traffic. Several months of intense litigation were required before the defendant finally abandoned this argument. The argument was finally abandoned by the defendants when in the first mediation our attorneys presented video footage shot (in a controlled setting) from the perspective of an 18-wheeler driver which showed that the sign simply did not obstruct enough of the roadway to be a hazard. The case was ultimately resolved through litigation.
Recovery
HAND INJURY / WORKPLACE ACCIDENT
A young worker was negligently trained to operate a piece of machinery. During a routine cleaning procedure, he suffered a serious hand injury consisting of numerous deep lacerations across his palm. The defendants claimed that he was a contract laborer and therefore owed no significant legal duty. Through litigation, our attorneys showed evidence to establish an employer-employee relationship thereby creating a non-subscriber work injury cause of action. The case was resolved through litigation.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / THIRD-PARTY DRAM
Our firm took on the case of a family, who lost a wife and mother after she was stuck by a drunk driver. During the course of our investigation, we uncovered that a nearby bar had served the drunk driver to the point that he was nearly three time the legal limit at the time he crashed into the victim.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / THIRD-PARTY DRAM SHOP
Two different bars overserved a person who later collided with a family driving home from dinner. As a result of the collision, one of the family members in the vehicle died.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
A family approached our firm after their loved one was struck and killed, while riding a scooter, by a commercial vehicle that failed to yield the right of way. We took on their case and were able to resolve it.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
A $1,000,000.00 dram shop case that involved a victim who died of alcohol poisoning. At first, the defendant denied any wrong-doing, but our attorneys were able to demonstrate that they had served the patron so much that the patient died of alcohol poisoning. Once that was established, the bar saw the writing on the wall and quickly settled the case.
Recovery
SERIOUS BRAIN INJURY / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
(policy limits) Our attorneys secured a recovery against a major trucking company for the daughter of a man who was killed after his vehicle collided into an 18-wheeler which was blocking the roadway. Litigation is ongoing against additional defendants.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
(policy limits) A husband and father of three was killed when the driver of an 18-wheeler veered into oncoming traffic, striking the young man's vehicle and several others. The defendant was employed by a small construction company that operated only a single 18-wheeler. As such, the defendants were largely underinsured and were not financially solvent.
Furthermore, the defendants had an eroding insurance policy (the type where the defendant's own attorney's fees and other claims eat away at the available funds to the accident's major victims) and numerous other parties were intent upon filing claims of their own since the 18-wheeler struck multiple other vehicles. This created the need for an aggressive and rapid response before the other claimants could erode the policy.
Defense counsel made it clear that they wished to litigate the case despite the insurmountable liability arguments that our attorneys presented. They intended to designate a third party as a responsible defendant (blame someone else for the accident) since the accident happened in a construction zone, even though it was abundantly clear that the construction zone played no role in the crash. Additionally, the defendants made it clear that they wished to downplay the extent of the damages by virtue of a character assassination on the decedent. Even though he had no fault in the accident at all, they intended to call into question his past.
Fortunately for our clients, our firm has successfully litigated against the defendant's insurer in nearly a dozen other cases, so the carrier was quite aware of our courtroom capabilities. We presented a sample lawsuit to the defendant's insurance carrier and informed them that the lawsuit was to be filed the moment that they refused to settle. Additionally, our attorneys submitted a Stowers Demand with a brief window of time for the defendants to respond. We made it abundantly clear that we intended to seek punitive damages and that we would assert the full limits of the carrier's exposure under the Stowers Demand should the carrier fail to offer policy limits.
The defendant's attorney adamantly persuaded them to litigate, however, our attorney's threats of litigation, past track record, and incredibly aggressive pre-litigation actions convinced the insurance carrier to disregard their own attorney's advice and to settle the case, lest they face our attorneys in court. Had our clients been represented by virtually any other firm who did not have our specific track record or who would have not recognized that this case required special and immediate attention coupled with an abnormally aggressive stance, the clients would have certainly been tied up in litigation for years, with the limited supply of funds rapidly depleting since the other claimants who did not need to litigate would have essentially had right of first refusal.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / THIRD-PARTY DRAM SHOPSHOP
Our firm represented the family members of a man who was overserved by a bar to the point where he was more than twice the legal limit to operate a vehicle. Tragically, the man died in a car accident on his way home.
We were able to hold the bar accountable for their role in the crash, as well as violating Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission prohibitions against serving intoxicated patrons.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
The surviving family members of a man who died in a car crash reached out to our firm for help with their loved one's case. We agreed to take the matter on and discovered the prior to their loved one's death, he was overserved at a local bar, in violation of Texas Alcoholic Beverage regulations.
We brought suit against the bar for their role in the tragedy. Despite some initial opposition from their attorneys, we were ultimately able to prevail.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
Recovery
BACK INJURY REQUIRING SURGERY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Plaintiff suffered a back injury necessitating spinal fusion surgery when her car was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler. The defendants argued that the accident was unavoidable, thus denying liability. Suit was filed in response to the denial, and the case was satisfactorily resolved after a year of litigation.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / THIRD-PARTY DRAM SHOP
Grossman Law Offices was hired to represent the surviving family members of a man who died in a drunk driving crash. Our investigation uncovered that a local bar served the intoxicated driver in the crash at least 8 drinks in a single hour, leaving him more than two and a half times the legal limit. While driving home, this patron was behind the wheel in a crash, which led to the death of our clients' loved one, a father of two small children. Our team was able to recover insurance policy limits from a bar, which had no other assets.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / THIRD-PARTY DRAM SHOP
We represented the family of a young man who was out drinking with a friend at a bar. Both the man and his friend were over-served to a shocking degree. Shortly after leaving the bar, the friend crashed the car that they were both riding in, killing the young man. After tracking down the bar, they attempted to defend themselves by placing all the blame for the incident on one of their servers. Our attorneys were able to show that the bar had a culture of unsafe alcohol service. The case was eventually resolved to the satisfaction of the surviving family members.
Recovery
BACK INJURY REQUIRING SURGERY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Plaintiff was stopped in traffic when his 18-wheeler was rear-ended by another truck driver. The plaintiff retained the services of another law firm who ended up dropping the case, because they didn't believe the plaintiff's injuries were serious enough to justify pursuing a truck accident claim. The client knew his injuries were serious and contacted us for help. After arranging further medical treatment, it was determined the the client needed to have a major back surgery to alleviate his symptoms. Not only did our attorneys arrange for the client to have the surgery he needed, but we also obtained a $750,000.00 settlement on the courthouse steps, right before trial was set to begin.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / THIRD-PARTY DRAM SHOP
We represented the family of a young man who was killed by an intoxicated wrong-way driver. The intoxicated driver who caused the crash had been drinking at a local bar prior to the wreck. The bar egregiously overserved the patron, to the point that later the man didn't even realize he was driving the wrong way on a major highway. We were able to hold the offending bar responsible for their role in the incident.
Recovery
FRACTURED PELVIS AND ORGAN DAMAGE / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT/WORK INJURY
A loading dock employee suffered a fractured pelvis and damage to internal organs as the result of a crushing injury sustained when an 18-wheeler backed into him and crushed him between the trailer and loading dock.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Grossman Law Offices was hired to pursue a wrongful death claim against a trucking company following a fatal 18-wheeler accident. The trucker had exited a parking lot without yielding, and the victim was killed when he ran into the tractor trailer.
Recovery
CLOSED-HEAD INJURY / WORKPLACE ACCIDENT
A painter fell from an apartment balcony resulting in a closed-head injury and other minor bodily injuries. The case was successfully resolved through litigation against the plaintiff’s employer and the general contractor.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
(policy limits) A young woman lost her life after a bar over-served her to more than three times the legal limit resulting in her burning to death in a single-vehicle accident. Witnesses stated that she was so intoxicated that she could barely make it to her vehicle without assistance. The bar denied any wrongdoing and claimed that they could not tell that she was intoxicated. The evidence and medical science illustrated that they were lying. Someone, a young person, no less, is not able to conceal such a high degree of intoxication. Suspecting that the bar was not being truthful, we filed suit and began litigating against them. Through discovery, our attorneys learned of all employees who were working on the night in question. Eventually, we found an employee who had moved on to another job, and was therefore not part of the litigation, meaning we were within our rights to talk to that person outside of the presence of the bar's attorneys. When we interviewed her, she explained that the young woman was not only obviously intoxicated, but that she was so drunk that she needed assistance to get to her car. Once we found the necessary evidence to prove that the establishment provided alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person, we pressed forward with the case and the defendants eventually settled.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / WORKERS' COMPENSATION GROSS NEGLIGENCE
(policy limits) A father of two was killed on the job when he fell from a personnel platform atop an elevated piece of machinery. The defendant was initially afforded protection from a liability suit by virtue of their workers' comp policy. Upon thorough investigation, it became evident that gross negligence was at the root of the accident, and suit was filed to seek compensation for punitive damages. A successful outcome was obtained through litigation.
Recovery
SERIOUS BODILY INJURY / 3RD-PARTY DRAM
We represented a woman who suffered serious injuries, nearly dying, in a car crash caused by an intoxicated driver who had been overserved by a bar.
Recovery
BACK INJURY REQUIRING SURGERY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Plaintiff, a delivery driver, suffered a back injury resulting in spinal fusion surgery when he was injured in an accident involving falling cargo from an 18-wheeler. The defendants cited the plaintiff's failure to take evasive action as a source of contributory negligence and litigation commenced accordingly, which culminated in an acceptance of liability and eventually a satisfactory resolution.
Recovery
BACK INJURY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Our firm was hired by a woman who sustained a serious back injury, when the vehicle she was riding in was struck by the trailer of an out of control 18-wheeler. We were able to successfully resolve the case.
Recovery
SURVIVAL CLAIM / MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
This was a case where we represented the estate of a motorist who was killed by a drunk driver. What made this case challenging was that the deceased man had no heirs capable of bringing a wrongful death claim under Texas law. Grossman Law Offices attorneys were able to apply a different area of the law to the his case, which allowed other surviving family members to hold the drunk driver and his insurer accountable for his actions.
Recovery
SPINE INJURY / THIRD-PARTY DRAM
We were hired after a victim sustained severe injuries when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and struck the vehicle they were riding. As a result of the crash, she sustained injuries to her brain and spine.
After contentious litigation, we successfully held the bar and drunk driver accountable.
Recovery
SHOULDER INJURY REQUIRING SURGERY / MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
An airline pilot suffered a shoulder injury resulting in surgery when he was sideswiped by an 18-wheeler. The case was resolved through litigation, as establishing liability was a contentious matter. The defendants claimed that the plaintiff made an illegal passing maneuver, but the evidence showed that the defendant made a sweeping turn and intruded upon our client’s right of way.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
A young handicapped woman lost her life when a long-term care facility failed to provide her with treatment for obvious symptoms of severe illness. The defendants maintained that there were no outwardly visible signs of illness. The medical evidence showed otherwise. The case was successfully resolved through litigation, though damages caps imposed by tort reform were a factor.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / THIRD-PARTY DRAM SHOPPARTY DRAM
Parents of a deceased adult child reached out to us after their son died in a drunk driving crash. The person who was driving their son's car had been served an astonishing amount of alcohol at a local restaurant on the night of the crash.
After we conducted a thorough investigation and confronted the restaurant with damning evidence, we successfully resolved the case.
Recovery
BRAIN INJURY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INJURY
We represented a man who sustained serious head and back injuries after his car was struck by a commercial vehicle. We were able to favorable resolve the case and get the victim the help he needed.
Recovery
NECK INJURY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE CRASH
We represented a man who sustained a serious neck injury, when his vehicle was rear-ended in a construction zone by an 18-wheeler. Prior to the wreck, a truck ignored a construction zone sign and attempted to pass slowing traffic in the left-hand lane of a highway. Our client was already in the left-hand lane and had come to a stop with the rest of the traffic, when the collision occurred. The trucking company argued that stopped traffic in a construction zone constituted a "sudden emergency," and for that reason, the crash wasn't their driver's fault. We were able to successfully argue that everyone knows traffic can stop suddenly when there's roadwork in an area, so their driver's actions caused the crash. After further litigation, we successfully resolved the case.
Recovery
BRAIN INJURY / PREMISES LIABILITY
Our attorneys sued an apartment complex in relation to a brain injury sustained by a toddler when he fell through a balcony railing. The apartment complex denied liability, asserted that their railings were in spec at the time of the building's construction (some 20 years prior), and they claimed that the child's mother was contributorily negligent in that she did not notice that her child was playing near the railing.
Through litigation, our attorneys countered the defendant's arguments by showing that the case law does not support the notion of any safety related concerns in the building code being "grandfathered" in. On the contrary, a property owner has an obligation to keep safety features such as balcony railings within the specs at all times. The railings in this complex were spaced at 7 inch intervals, which was at odds with the now-standard 4 inch interval. Additionally, our attorneys countered the claims of contributory negligence as a practical matter in that the mother was indeed monitoring the child's activity and the child literally ran up to the railing and immediately fell through the rails. Alternatively, we argued that the doctrine of parental immunity applied and that the contributory negligence, if any such negligence ever even occurred, of the mother would not be admissible. The case was satisfactorily resolved through litigation.
Recovery
BACK INJURY REQUIRING SURGERY / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
Our client, a middle-aged woman, was injured when an 18-wheeler rear-ended her vehicle. As a consequence of the wreck, she sustained a back injury which required surgery to remedy. Naturally, the defendants denied liability and argued that the accident was unavoidable. Our attorneys filed suit. The defendant driver initially claimed that our client suddenly changed lanes in front of his tractor-trailer and then inexplicably slammed onto her brakes. When confronted with eye-witness testimony and other physical evidence that reflected an entirely different scenario, the truck driver ultimately recanted. The case was successfully resolved through litigation.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
Our firm was hired by the minor child and parents of a young man who was killed in a motorcycle accident after being over served alcohol at a South Padre Island bar. The plaintiffs hired our firm to investigate the claim on the basis that the decedent was over the legal limit at the time of his death. In initial attempts to settle the case out of court, the defendants denied liability. Suit was filed soon thereafter.
The defendants initially argued that the decedent never consumed alcohol on their premises. Through physical evidence and deposition testimony to the contrary, we were able to conclusively prove that the decedent had indeed been drinking at the establishment.
The defendants then asserted allegations that the decedent's minor child was not actually his biological child, which would bar his claim entirely. A DNA test was performed and this argument was defeated.
The defendants then asserted the safe harbor defense. Our attorneys argued that the defendants did not qualify for safe harbor protection due to the fact that their servers were not all licensed providers. However, while this element was being addressed, our attorneys focused their attention on addressing the second element of the safe harbor defense regarding the bar's encouragement of the over service of alcohol. The defendants claimed that they would never serve the double-shot Bacardi cocktails that witnesses claimed the decedent drank several of. We sent private investigators into the bar to order the same drinks that the decedent consumed on the night of his death and the very same bar tenders who over served the decedent, without hesitation, served copious amounts of alcohol to the investigators, all of which was captured on hidden camera.
Once the safe harbor defense was defeated, the defendants argued that the decedent's BAC was low enough at the time of his death (as recorded by the hospital) that he would not have necessarily appeared obviously intoxicated to the servers and therefore the bar should not be held liable even if he had been over served. Eyewitness testimony refuted this.
Our firm was hired by the minor child and parents of a young man who was killed in a motorcycle accident after being over served alcohol at a South Padre Island bar. The plaintiffs hired our firm to investigate the claim on the basis that the decedent was over the legal limit at the time of his death. In initial attempts to settle the case out of court, the defendants denied liability. Suit was filed soon thereafter.
The defendants initially argued that the decedent never consumed alcohol on their premises. Through physical evidence and deposition testimony to the contrary, we were able to conclusively prove that the decedent had indeed been drinking at the establishment.
The defendants then alleged that the decedent's minor child was not actually his biological child, which would bar his claim entirely. A DNA test was performed and this argument was defeated.
The defendants then asserted the safe harbor defense. Our attorneys argued that the defendants did not qualify for safe harbor protection due to the fact that their servers were not all licensed providers. However, while this element was being addressed, our attorneys focused their attention on addressing the second element of the safe harbor defense, regarding the bar's encouragement of the over service of alcohol. The defendants claimed that they would never serve the double-shot Bacardi cocktails that witnesses claimed the decedent drank several of. We sent private investigators into the bar to order the same drinks that the decedent consumed on the night of his death and the very same bartenders who over served the decedent, without hesitation, served copious amounts of alcohol to the investigators, all of which was captured on hidden camera.
Once the safe harbor defense was defeated, the defendants argued that the decedent's BAC was low enough at the time of his death (as recorded by the hospital) that he would not necessarily have appeared obviously intoxicated to the servers and therefore the bar should not be held liable even if he had been over served. Eyewitness testimony refuted this.
Additionally, our firm's testifying medical expert reviewed the medical records related to the emergency helicopter flight that transported the decedent to the hospital after his accident. She determined that the EMS technicians administered numerous blood transfusions while in flight. Armed with this newfound data, our medical expert reverse extrapolated and determined conclusively that the decedent's BAC was actually in the range of .19-.21 at the time of the accident, though it was drastically diluted by the time he arrived at the hospital, which accounted for the relatively low BAC found in the hospital's medical records. This testimony proved to be pivotal in the case, resulting in a successful recovery for our clients.
Recovery
BACK INJURY RESULTING IN SURGERY / PRODUCT LIABILITY
A young woman suffered a back injury that required corrective surgery following a boating accident. The boat in question sped out of control and crashed into a landmass, throwing our client from the boat, as the result of a stuck throttle. Upon inspection of the boat, it was determined that a poor design led to the malfunction and a product liability lawsuit was brought against the manufacturer. The defendants argued that the boat was inappropriately piloted, however, the physical evidence depicted the cause of the accident quite clearly and the case was successfully resolved.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
The family of a deceased driver reached out to us, with the suspicion that their loved one had been dangerously over-served alcohol at a bar prior to their fatal crash. We were able to successfully resolve the case to the family's satisfaction.
Recovery
PUNCTURED COLON AND SOFT-TISSUE INJURIES / THIRD-PARTY DRAM SHOP ACCIDENT
Our client suffered a punctured colon and numerous soft tissue injuries in an alcohol-related car accident. The accident occurred as the defendant driver crashed his car into a concrete median. The plaintiff, a passenger in the vehicle, alleged that the defendant driver was over served alcohol to such an extent that he was several times the legal limit. As such, a claim was brought against the defendant driver and the bar which over served him. A settlement was reached with the defendant driver and the plaintiff turned his focus on the bar in question. The case was resolved successfully through litigation. Based on the egregious conduct of the bar and it's numerous TABC violations, the defendant's liquor license was revoked soon after the case was resolved.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
which clearly indicates that the defendant driver had not accelerated from a dead stop. Rather, he was traveling at the speed limit, which would not have triggered a green light for the defendant. The logical implication of this information is that the light could not have been red for the plaintiff, and it certainly would have been red for the defendant. As a consequence of this information, the case was resolved through litigation.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / THIRD-PARTY DRAM SHOP
(policy limits) An incredibly intoxicated driver drove head-on into a vehicle, killing several of the vehicle's occupants. The defendants had limited assets, yet an alternative policy was uncovered, which the defendants argued was non applicable. Under threat of litigation, our attorneys negotiated a settlement for the policy limits.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / FIRST-PARTY DRAM SHOP
A family member reached out to our firm when their loved one perished, after leaving a bar one evening.
Our investigation of the bar provided what was needed to help us resolve the case to the client's satisfaction.
Recovery
FACIAL FRACTURES AND HEAD TRAUMA / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT / WORK INJURY
A loading dock worker suffered serious including numerous facial fractures and minor brain trauma when an 18-wheeler backed into him, crushing him against the loading dock. The plaintiff's employer was a subscriber to Texas Workers' Compensation coverage, thus a claim was rightly filed against the third party trucking company whom the truck driver operating the reversing 18-wheeler worked for. The plaintiffs asserted the position that the trucking company in question was liable on the basis of respondeat superior and negligent retention. The defendants argued that the plaintiff was the sole proximate cause of his injuries by virtue of the plaintiff putting himself in harms way. They maintained that the plaintiff simply walked behind the reversing tractor trailer as it pushed back toward the loading dock. It was later determined through deposition testimony that the truck driver had indeed instructed the plaintiff to stand behind the trailer in order to determine the vehicle's proximity to the dock. Once this fact came to light, the defendants agreed to mediation, whereby the case was satisfactorily settled.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / THIRD-PARTY DRAM SHOP
We represented the family of a man who was killed, as a result of a drunk driver being overserved by a central Texas bar.
This was a tricky case, as police investigators initially blamed the victim for causing the fatal crash. When the family reached out for help, we agreed to conduct an independent investigation to see what the evidence showed.
During the course the course of the investigation, it quickly became clear that rather than causing the crash, our client's loved one was the victim of a drunk driver and the alcohol provider that unlawfully served him.
With that evidence in hand, we were able to resolve the case to the clients' satisfaction.
Recovery
ELECTRIC SHOCK AND PARTIAL AMPUTATION / WORKPLACE ACCIDENT
Our firm was hired to represent a technician who sustained an electric shock while working in proximity to a power line. The incident occurred while the worker was under contract with a subsidiary of General Electric as he worked to install wireless transmission devices on various utility poles throughout the Houston area. The employer, a non subscriber to Texas Workers' Compensation, furnished our client with equipment and training to perform this specific task. However, the equipment provided was lacking in safety consideration and ultimately caused him to sustain a significant injury when electricity surged through his equipment and his body. He sustained small burns at the point where the electricity entered his body and a significant burn on one of his toes where the current exited, the latter of which resulted in partial amputation of a toe. The defendants initially claimed that they were not liable since our client worked for a temp agency. We provided case law and samples of our own past cases that supported our arguments with regard to borrowed servants and non-subscriber liability. The defendants ultimately accepted liability, but attempted to claim that no other compensation was necessary since our client had received workers' compensation benefits and, according to them, his injuries were minor. We illustrated that, on the contrary, our client's injuries, although not life threatening, did result in minor disfigurement and considerable pain and suffering. To support this contention, we introduced physical evidence, photographs, accompanying statements from physicians and witnesses, and numerous other supporting documents into evidence. The claim was successfully resolved soon thereafter.
Recovery
WRONGFUL DEATH / COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ACCIDENT
(policy limits) A young mother was killed in an accident involving two commercial vehicles, one an 18-wheeler. The accident occurred as the young woman was a passenger in a vehicle that was traveling down a highway in the early morning hours. Without warning, the vehicle in which she was a passenger collided with a stalled 18-wheeler that had parked in the right of way, resulting in catastrophic injuries that claimed the young woman's life soon thereafter. The authorities initially faulted the driver of the vehicle in which the victim was a passenger, stating that he was using an electronic device rather than paying full attention to the roadway. However, the 18-wheeler was indeed blocking the roadway and plaintiff alleged that the vehicle did not follow the requirements of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration with regarding adequate reflective or laminated warning tape at specific intervals. Further, the plaintiffs alleged that the defendant failed to remove his vehicle from the roadway when he first noticed signs of mechanical failure. Had he simply moved to the shoulder of the road, plaintiffs argued, his lack of adequate warning signs would have been inconsequential. An initial settlement has been obtained in this case, yet litigation has commenced in full against the remaining defendant, and is currently ongoing.