Firm Victories

Abraham Watkins reached a $250 million settlement in a Drug Litigation Case

Abraham Watkins reached a $201 million settlement in a Oil and Gas workplace accident case

Firm Partner Mo Aziz and a former firm partner successfully obtained a settlement against several defendants as a result of a bus fire during the Hurricane Rita evacuation that resulted in 23 fatalities. Several elderly patients from a nursing home in Bellaire, Texas were being transported in an MCI Model EL3 bus when heat generated in the right rear tag axle caused the tire to catch on fire. Smoke from the fire quickly engulfed the cabin of the bus, hindering rescue efforts. A former firm partner was appointed to the Plaintiff Liaison/Steering Committee where he, along with Mr. Aziz, represented the families of two of the deceased as well as four of the injured victims. After years of litigation and reviewing several hundred thousand documents and more than 200 depositions, the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee was able to reach settlements totaling $88 million for the families of the victims of this tragedy.

Abraham Watkins as co-lead reached an $85,000,000 settlement in an automotive product liability case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $75,900,000 settlement for two workers that were injured in a chemical plant explosion case

Abraham Watkins reached a $60,000,000 settlement in a commercial vehicle accident case

Abraham Watkins reached a $60 million settlement in a Drug Litigation Case

Abraham Watkins reached a $60 million settlement in a Chemical Plant Fire Case

Abraham Watkins reached a $58,000,000 settlement in a Natural Gas Explosion Case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $35 million settlement in a premises liability case

Abraham Watkins partner Brant Stogner and firm associate Soroush Montazari reached a $30,190,000 million settlement in a chemical plant explosion case.

Abraham Watkins managing partner Benny Agosto, Jr. and attorneys Jonathan Sneed, Karl Long, and Wady Rahbani- Chavez obtained a $28,591,000 jury verdict in Harris County for 5 clients that were involved in the 2019 ExxonMobil Baytown Olefins Plant explosion. The explosion occurred after a line ruptured due to buildup of an industrial byproduct called popcorn polymer. The forces of the blast destroyed the tower where the explosion occurred and created a fireball that measured approximately 900 feet tall, making it one of the largest industrial explosions ever seen on the Texas gulf coast.The Abraham Watkins trial team presented evidence that ExxonMobil had known for decades that popcorn polymer was an extremely hazardous substance that could lead to loss of containment and large plant explosions. Despite this knowledge, however, evidence revealed that ExxonMobil did nothing to implement safety practices to avoid the explosion or reduce its chances of happening. Further, evidence revealed ExxonMobil withheld knowledge of these risks and never warned the plaintiffs, or any of the other plant workers that have filed lawsuits against the company for injuries suffered from the explosion.After nearly four weeks of trial, the jury returned a verdict finding ExxonMobil 100% at fault for causing the explosion and the damages claimed by our clients.

Abraham Watkins reached a $25,000,000 settlement in an oilfield injury case

Abraham Watkins reached a $25 million settlement in a premises liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $25 million settlement in a premises liability case

Firm Partner Brant Stogner obtained a $22,707,000 jury verdict in Harris County for a client that fell over 20 feet at a construction site. Santiago Arias was rendered quadriplegic as result of the fall that fractured his C-3 vertebra. Mr. Arias, married father of three, was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life with limited use of his right hand. At trial against Mr. Arias’ non-subscribing employer, Degar Fuel Systems, Inc., the firm was able to prove that Mr. Arias and the other workers were not provided fall protection equipment or safety training, in violation of federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. The jury awarded damages for future medical care, pain and suffering, physical impairment, disfigurement and loss of earnings. This verdict was largest verdict in Texas in 2009 for workplace safety, according to Verdict Search’s Top Texas Verdicts of 2009.

Abraham Watkins reached a $22+ Million settlement in a wrongful death commercial auto accident.

Abraham Watkins reached a $20 million settlement (all plaintiff’s) in a Chemical plant Fire Explosion Case

Abraham Watkins Partner, Brant Stogner, and attorneys Jonathan Sneed and Jennifer Stogner reached an $18 million settlement in a single death 5-year-old child drowning case. The child passed away at a Baytown area apartment pool due to a defective gate latch system that allowed the child to enter the pool in contravention of all the statutes and local ordinances. Through numerous depositions, it was proven that the apartment complex was aware of the issue for years and nevertheless chose to allow the condition to remain despite many children on the property. Despite blaming the parents for allowing the child to leave the apartment unit unsupervised, the Abraham Watkins team was able to convince the Court to dismiss all claims of negligence against the parents of the decedent and obtain this settlement on behalf of the parents of the dead child.

Abraham Watkins reached a $16,000,000 settlement in a hydrogen flash fire case that took place at a chemical refinery

Abraham Watkins reached a $16 Million settlement in a chemical plant explosion case.

Firm associate, Jonathan Sneed, obtained a $15.9 million verdict in Harris County for a client that was run over and dragged through the parking lot of a Houston-area bar. As a result of the collision, our client was placed in a medically induced coma for several weeks where she underwent multiple orthopedic surgeries to bind her broken bones back together again. The award includes damages for past and future medical care, as well as pain and suffering, physical impairment, disfigurement, and loss of earnings.

Abraham Watkins reached a $15.55 million settlement in a chemical release explosion case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $15,200,000 settlement in a chemical plant explosion case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $15,125,000 settlement in a dram shop liability case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $12,750,000 million settlement in a structural failure case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $12.5 million settlement in a 18-wheeler accident

Abraham Watkins reached a $12 million settlement in a construction workplace accident case

Abraham Watkins Partner Brant Stogner, and attorneys Jennifer Stogner and Chris Mahfouz reached at $11,725,000.00 settlement in a commercial trailer detachment accident case.   This tragedy occurred on highway 45 in the early morning hours when a commercial trailer became detached from the tractor and rolled to a stop blocking moving lanes of the highway. The trial team represented a surviving spouse and father of the decedent, who was killed by the detachment. The decedent was on his way to work when the vehicle in front of him suddenly swerved to the right, impacting the dark trailer and causing it to spin into decedent’s lane. The decedent impacted the trailer and went underneath it, killing him at the scene. Through extensive litigation, the trial team was able to establish that the driver of the tractor-trailer combination did not secure the latching mechanism prior to making the trip. The trial team was further able to establish that the incident was not caused by a breakage or failure of material, but rather, was caused by the negligence of the driver and the trucking company for not having any systems in place to ensure proper linkage prior to operation on the roadway. Although the decedent did not leave behind any children and was only survived by a spouse and parent, the defendants settled to avoid a trial.

A former firm partner obtained a $11 million judgment on behalf of his clients against Control & Applications LLC f/k/a vMonitor LLC, Rashed Saif Jaber al Suwaidi, Juan Carlos Marques Montejano, Hussan Suheil, and Horizon Energy, LLC. The Plaintiffs were brothers who each owned an 8.33% interest in vMonitor, LLC, an Abu Dhabi limited liability company. The Middle East Defendants convinced the Plaintiffs that vMonitor was worth only $13,000,000 by representing to them that a third-party had offered to purchase their interests at that valuation. Unbeknownst to the Plaintiffs the Defendants had previously told a possible investor that they valued the company at $60,000.000. The alleged third-party purchaser then bowed out and the majority shareholder purchased the Plaintiffs’ interest at the $13,000,000 valuation. Soon thereafter the entire company was sold for nearly $60,000,000 to Rockwell Automation. The Court found in favor of the Plaintiffs and against all defendants on the Plaintiffs’ claim for fraud and in favor of the Plaintiffs and against the defendants on the Plaintiffs’ claim for breach of fiduciary duty.

Abraham Watkins reached a $11 million settlement in a 18-wheeler accident

Abraham Watkins won a jury trial verdict for a work place contruction, premisie liabilty case

Abraham Watkins Partner Brant Stogner obtained a $10.3 million settlement for the surviving spouse and son of a Cypress, Texas man who was backed over in front of his home by a garbage truck. The decedent was working in the yard and had debris that he wanted picked up by his neighborhood’s garbage collection company, Texas Pride Disposal Solutions, when he was tragically killed in the road in front of his home by a slowly backing and fully loaded garbage truck. The garbage truck driver also had two helpers in the garbage truck that were employed by Manbro Contracting and who where supposed to assist the garbage truck driver with the backup process by getting out and serving as spotters.

Firm Partners Mo Aziz and Benny Agosto, Jr. successfully represented several victims and their families who were involved in a bus crash in Victoria, Texas. The bus was on its way to Monterrey, Mexico when the driver lost control of the bus, causing it to overturn. One person died, and dozens of others suffered injuries ranging from amputated limbs to degloving injuries as a result of the incident. In addition to exposing the negligence of the driver and his employer, an investigation completed by our lawyers revealed defendants’ concerted efforts to bypass state and federal laws regulating the inspection and registration of imported buses. As a result, Mr. Aziz, who took a lead role on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, was able to reach settlements with the defendants on behalf of the victims of this bus crash.

Firm attorneys Brant Stogner, Jennifer Stogner, and Jonathan Sneed obtained a $10 million settlement for five hunters who were injured as a result of a residential gas explosion at a rented cabin in Pecos County. During their annual hunting trip, the hunters realized that the cabin’s 250-gallon propane tank used to power appliances was empty or near empty and notified the cabin’s owners. The owners contacted a large gas supply company to refill the propane tank, and a technician was sent to refill the tank. However, the technician did not perform a leak check on the cabin’s gas system to make sure it was secure and free of leaks and an explosion at the hunting cabin occurred one day later. All hunters were seriously injured with most undergoing multiple surgeries to their lower extremities. Although the Texas Railroad Commission investigated this explosion, its investigators did not issue any citations to the gas company. Through extensive litigation, Brant and his team were able to prove multiple statutory and common law bases under which the gas company was required to conduct a leak check on the gas system prior to introducing any gas into the system. The team was able to establish that the gas company should have conducted the leak check, that a competent technician would have easily and quickly discovered the leak, and that the gas system should have been red-tagged until it was repaired and passed a leak check. If the gas company had complied with industry standards, the explosion would never have occurred. On the eve of trial, Brant was able to secure a settlement of $10 million for the five hunters.

Abraham Watkins reached a $10 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $10 million settlement in a premises liability case

Abraham Watkins managing partner Benny Agosto, Jr. and attorneys Lena Laurenzo and Jon Agosto obtained a $9,864,571.54 jury verdict in Leflore County, Mississippi for two clients who lost a loved one as a result of a defective product manufactured and designed by Genie Industries, Inc. The product, a TZ-34/20 Trailer Mounted Boom Lift, is an aerial work platform that can elevate workers up to 34 feet in the air. The boom lift arm came apart at a critical assembly point while Leflore County worker, Leroy Anthony, was in the work platform over 30 feet in the air. The work platform was then allowed to crash down to the ground, causing Mr. Anthony to sustain fatal injuries. The Abraham Watkins trial team presented evidence that Genie Industries manufactured the boom lift without a critical safety part, namely a bushing that is supposed to prevent excessive friction at the critical assembly joint of the boom lift. As a result of the damage caused by the excessive friction, the upper and lower boom lift arms were able to separate and allow the work platform to fall. Further, the evidence revealed that Genie Industries defectively designed the boom lift and that there were safer design alternatives available of which Genie Industries was aware and would have prevented the product failure. Lastly, the evidence also revealed that Genie Industries failed to provide adequate warnings or instructions about the boom lift hazards, especially with regards to the safety component parts of the critical assembly joint. After seven days of trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict finding Genie Industries 90% at fault for the defective product and the damages claimed by the Anthony family clients. The verdict was returned after 1.5 hours of deliberation.

Abraham Watkins reached a $8,000,000 settlement in a commercial vehicle accident case

Abraham Watkins Partner Mo Aziz and Sr. Assocaite Michelle Rice obtained a $7.5 million settlement on behalf of an infant in a medical malpractice case

Abraham Watkins reached a $7.5 million settlement in a Oil and Gas explosion case.

Firm attorneys Benny Agosto, Jr. and Jonathan Sneed obtained a $7.4 million settlement for a worker that was left critically injured after being run over by a 9,000-pound truck at a construction site. At the time of the incident, the worker was chipping concrete out of a shallow hole when a construction utility truck ran over the worker’s head and torso. The firm’s investigation into the incident revealed that the truck driver accelerated at a high rate of speed through the construction site and should have had a clear view of the worker, who was wearing a heard hat and high-visibility safety vest at the time of impact. The force of the collision cracked the worker’s skull open and caused severe burst and compression fractures throughout his lumbar spine. The firm was able to secure a settlement that helped fund a trust for the worker who survived the collision but had been left permanently disabled.

Firm associates Chris Mahfouz and Taylor Pace obtained a $7.1 million jury verdict for a client who was injured while working as a nurse’s aide in a nursing home. The client was transferring a bariatric patient from bed to wheelchair when the wheelchair brakes failed. As a result of the incident, the client suffered severe injuries that ultimately necessitated a life-altering neck surgery. At trial, the jury saw evidence that the nursing home: (1) failed to train nursing aides at the facility on the specific transfer protocol for the patient; and (2) failed to adequately inspect and maintain its wheelchairs, leading to the brake failure. After a week of trial, the jury awarded damages for her past and future medical expenses, pain, mental anguish, and physical impairment totaling $7,110,000.00---over 50 times the pretrial offer.

Abraham Watkins reached a $7+ Million settlement in a Construction Fall Protection Injury Case

Abraham Watkins reached a $6.25 Million settlement in a commercial workplace construction case

Abraham Watkins reached a $6,222,500 settlement in a products liability case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $6.175 million settlement in a shipyard work injury.

Abraham Watkins reached a $6.1 million settlement for a work place contruction, premisie liabilty case

Firm attorneys Mo Aziz and Michelle Rice obtained a $6,050,000 products liability verdict on behalf of their client, Tina Lopez, who sustained an amputation injury during a rollover event in February of 2013. At the time of the incident, Ms. Lopez was riding in the front passenger seat of a Polaris Ranger Crew 800 EFI manufactured by Polaris Industries, Inc. which had been outfitted with an aftermarket roof prior to the time of sale. During a tip-over event, Ms. Lopez’s arm was caught between the ground and the after-market roof, resulting in a traumatic amputation of her dominant hand. The after-market roof was constructed of14-gauge steel and had a thin, sharp metal edge that extended approximately two inches beyond the roll bars of the Polaris Ranger. The roof was fabricated by Huntech de Mexico S de R. L. de C.V. and sold to the dealership, Alamo Cycle-Plex, by Lone Star Outdoor. Alamo Cycle-Plex installed the after-market roof on the Polaris Ranger before selling it to Ms. Lopez. Following a two week trial, the jury reached a unanimous verdict against Defendant Alamo Cycle-Plex.

Abraham Watkins reached a $6+ million settlement in a construction site accident.

Abraham Watkins Partner Mo Aziz and Sr. Associate Michelle Rice obtained a products liability verdict on behalf of their client, Tina Lopez, who sustained an amputation injury during a rollover event in February of 2013. At the time of the incident, Ms. Lopez was riding in the front passenger seat of a Polaris Ranger Crew 800 EFI manufactured by Polaris Industries, Inc. which had been outfitted with an aftermarket roof prior to the time of sale. During a tip-over event, Ms. Lopez’s arm was caught between the ground and the after-market roof, resulting in a traumatic amputation of her dominant hand. The after-market roof was constructed of 14-gauge steel and had a thin, sharp metal edge that extended approximately two inches beyond the roll bars of the Polaris Ranger. The roof was fabricated by Huntech de Mexico S de R. L. de C.V. and sold to the dealership, Alamo Cycle-Plex, by Lone Star Outdoor. Alamo Cycle-Plex installed the after-market roof on the Polaris Ranger before selling it to Ms. Lopez. Following a two week trial, the jury reached a unanimous verdict against Defendant Alamo Cycle-Plex. The verdict was the largest psychological injury jury award in Texas in 2018 according to TopVerdict.com. It also ranked third in the products liability category of the Texas Lawyer Top Verdicts & Settlements of 2018 and number twenty on Texas’ Top Plaintiffs’ Verdicts of 2018 by VerdictSearch.com.

Abraham Watkins reached a $6 million settlement in a motorcycle accident case

Firm Partner Brant Stogner and Jennifer Stogner obtained a $5,973,510, policy limits, settlement on behalf of a husband and wife that lost their two sons in a high-speed rear-end collision. The collision was caused by commercial driver that engaged in distracted driving and struck the client’s stopped vehicle at full highway speed, causing the death of the clients’ children and injuries to the clients.

Abraham Watkins reached a $5.9 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins Partner Mo Aziz and Sr. Assocaite Michelle Rice obtained a $5,750,000 settlement on behalf of a marine surveyor who was struck by a forklift operator, resulting in multiple bilateral lower extremity injuries and fractures. The client underwent a right below the knee amputation surgery. Due to his injuries, the client’s blood thinning medications were discontinued which ultimately led to an ischemic stroke resulting in permanent, severe cognitive impairments

Abraham Watkins Partner Brant Stogner, and attorneys Jennifer Stogner and Jonathan Sneed reached at $5,750,000.00 settlement in a product liability case involving a UTV. This case involved a father who was impaled through his thigh by a tree root that intruded into the passenger cabin of the offroad vehicle. This incident happened while riding with his young son through a lightly wooded area near the family home. The father was able to unimpale himself and drive home to his wife prior to transport to the hospital for surgery to remove the tree root debris from his leg. After filing suit, taking depositions and hiring experts on the issue, the trial team was able to establish that there were numerous, alternative safer designs on the market that would have prevented this known risk. Accordingly, the manufacturers of this product settled the case to avoid a jury trial on the issue. 

Abraham Watkins Partner Mo Aziz and Sr. Associate Michelle Rice reached a settlement on behalf of their client and his minor son following a commercial motor vehicle accident.

Abraham Watkins won a jury trial verdict for a 18-wheeler accident

Firm Partner Brant Stogner reached a $5,000,000 settlement in a commercial truck accident where the plaintiff was rear-ended by a large truck pulling a horse trailer. Mr. Stogner and firm Associate Chris Mahfouz filed suit against the driver and his employer and were able to establish that the driver was unlicensed, untrained, and unqualified to be operating the truck-trailer combination. In addition, Mr. Stogner and Mr. Mahfouz were able to establish that the defendant driver had a history of causing similar accidents and should not have been operating any vehicles, at all, for the defendant company. Although the collision caused relatively minor property damage, Mr. Stogner obtained testimony from the treating physicians and neurosurgeon that the collision was the cause of the plaintiff’s back surgeries and ongoing medical needs. On the eve of trial, the defendants settled the case for $5 million.

Abraham Watkins reached a $5,000,000 settlement in a Non-Surgical PTSD case.

Firm Partner Mo Aziz and a former firm partner successfully represented a family that was hit by an 18-wheeler when the truck drove into their lane. The driver and her mother suffered severe and disabling injuries, while two minor children suffered minor injuries as a result of the collision. The events causing the collision were severely contested throughout the litigation, as the defendant took the position that the truck driver was driving safely and had the right of way, while Abraham Watkins argued that the truck driver’s employers were negligent in hiring and training him. Using a team of highly qualified experts and a meticulous work ethic, the attorneys were able to reach a settlement that adequately compensated all the injured parties.

Abraham Watkins Partner Mo Aziz and Sr. Assocaiate Michelle Rice obtained a $5 million settlement on behalf of an infant in a medical malpractice case

Abraham Watkins reached a $5 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $5,000,000 settlement in a commercial vehicle accident case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $4,600,00 million settlement in a sexual abuse case.

Abraham Watkins Partner Mo Aziz, associates Karl Long and Angelina Wike obtained a verdict against Asphalt Zipper, Inc. on behalf of Chuck Pruitt in the Western District of Texas – Waco Division. The verdict is reported to be one of the highest, if not the highest, personal injury verdict in that court. Plaintiff Chuck Pruitt was working at the Falls County Road and Bridge Department in Marlin, Texas when a water tank standing on three steel legs tipped over and fell on Pruitt's left leg, causing a compound fracture. The water tank was designed and manufactured by Asphalt Zipper Inc. The tank weighs over 2,200 pounds when empty. The firm argued that in designing the water tank, Asphalt Zipper failed to identify the center of gravity properly and conduct adequate testing. The center of gravity was too close to the front of the tank, and the mechanism of the legs' attachment to the tank allowed for rapid wear of the attachment point. This flaw, in turn, permitted excessive movement of the legs, including backward rotation, and made the equipment unstable. The jury unanimously agreed and placed all responsibility on Asphalt Zipper, Inc.

Abraham Watkins reached a $4,500,000 settlement in a commercial vehicle accident case

Abraham Watkins reached a $4,500,000 million settlement where our client was catastrophically burned while painting cabinets in a house that caught fire while the client was inside.

Abraham Watkins reached a $4.3 million settlement in a helicopter avaiation case

Abraham Watkins reached a $4,200,000 million settlement in a chemical release explosion case

A former firm partner was able to reach a settlement with numerous individual fraternity members and leaders, as well as the national fraternity with respect to the death of a young pledge. During a crossing over ceremony which marked the end of the pledge period, our clients’ son was encouraged to drink multiple bottles of liquor to the point of becoming unconscious with alcohol poisoning. Instead of rendering aid to the pledge, his fraternity brothers defaced his body from head to toe with permanent marker and left him to die. Our attorneys assisted in the production of and also sponsored an educational video on the dangers of hazing which is now utilized in universities and colleges across the nation.

Abraham Watkins reached a $4.2 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a 4.125 Million settlement in an oil/gas well wrongful death case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $4.1 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $4.1 million settlement in a airplane avaiation case

Abraham Watkins reached a $4.1 million settlement in a airplane avaiation case

Abraham Watkins reached a $4 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $4 million settlement in a premises liability shooting case.

Abraham Watkins Nurse Attorney Imrana Manzanares obtained a $3.8 million dollar settlement when negligence led to permanent paralysis in a client. Our client was seen and examined by several physicians who delayed important imaging studies necessary to diagnose a spinal cord injury. The delay in diagnosis caused permanent injury when the underlying condition was treatable and paralysis could have been avoided.

Abraham Watkins reached a $3.8 million settlement in a products liability case

Firm Partner Benny Agosto, Jr. obtained a jury verdict on behalf of a construction worker who fell 14 feet into an elevator shaft because a subcontractor had removed the safety rails and then failed to put them up properly. Prior to the jury verdict, the defendant’s highest offer was $100,000 while the client’s medical bills exceeded $160,000. During the course of the litigation, it became clear that the defendant was attempting to shift all of the responsibility to the injured victim and refused to accept any fault at all. After the insulting offer, he continued to prepare the case for trial and successfully showed the jury the real impact the defendant’s behavior made on the family.

Abraham Watkins reached a $3,500,000.00 settlement in an Excavation collapse construction accident case.

Abraham Watkins partner Brant Stogner and attorneys Jen Stogner and Chris Mahfouz settled a case in the middle of trial for $3.45M. Prior to trial, the offer at the second mediation was only $950,000. The case involved a client that was traveling to work in the early morning hours when he encountered a traffic stop on the ramp connecting the Hardy Toll Road and the 610 loop. While waiting behind stopped traffic on the connecting ramp, the client was struck in the rear by a commercial dump truck that was driving too fast for the traffic conditions. As result of the collision, the client underwent months of treatment that concluded with an arthroscopic knee surgery and two spinal fusion operations. The client filed suit against the at-fault driver and the trucking company that employed the commercial driver. Defendants maintained throughout the litigation that the impact was too minor to have caused any injury (despite the client’s vehicle being rendered a total loss). Defendants further argued that if the client had any injuries, they existed prior to the collision. Rather than focus on the clear liability collision from a dump truck at highway speeds with a stopped vehicle, Defendants chose to focus on the client’s prior military service and career in professional wrestling as the causes of the client’s injuries and treatment. Once it seemed that settlement was impossible, the case was referred to Abraham Watkins partner, Brant Stogner. Mr. Stogner and his team of trial lawyers prepared the case for trial and rejected an offer of $950,000 at the mediation immediately proceeding trial. After declining the offer, the team moved forward with pretrial and jury selection. During the second week of jury trial, prior to even closing the plaintiff’s case in chief, and prior to Mr. Stogner presenting a third orthopedic surgeon on direct examination, the Defendants offered a total of $3,450,000, which settled the case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $3.1 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $3,325,000 million settlement in an institutional sexual abuse case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $3,000,000 settlement in a workplace trench collapse injury case.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner and Jennifer O’Brien Stogner reached a $3,000,000 settlement in a personal injury case where the underlying liability policy only provided $100,000 in coverage to the defendant. The case arose out of a backyard barbeque where the plaintiff was sitting in a swing under a tree with two friends. Another person at the party came up and started to push the swing from behind when it flipped, causing all occupants to fall to the ground. The plaintiff suffered a fracture in her thoracic spine as a result of the fall and required immediate surgery. The person that pushed the swing and caused the injury only carried a liability policy with limits of $100,000 per incident. Mr. Stogner sent a Stowers demand prior to filing suit, offering to settle the case for the full policy limits of the defendant. After receiving no response from the defendant’s insurer, Mr. Stogner filed suit and took the case all the way to trial. Immediately after the pretrial conference and prior to picking a jury, Jennifer O’Brien Stogner negotiated a settlement with the defendant’s insurer for 30 times the defendant’s policy limits, settling the case for $3 million.

Abraham Watkins reached a $3 Million settlement in a catastrophic trucking case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $3 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $3 million settlement in a Medical Malpractice case

Abraham Watkins reached a $3 million settlement in a workplace accident case

Managing partner Benny Agosto, Jr. and Lena Laurenzo obtained a $3 million settlement in a catastrophic warehouse injury case.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner reached a $2,950,000 settlement in a commercial truck accident. Mr. Stogner, along with associates Soroush Montazari and Jennifer O’Brien Stogner, represented a young woman who was a passenger in a landscaping truck pulling a trailer. As the plaintiff’s vehicle slowed down for traffic, the plaintiff’s trailer was struck from behind by an 18-wheeler with a distracted driver at the wheel. The plaintiff underwent several arthroscopic surgical procedures to address the injuries caused in the collision. Mr. Stogner and the team were able to establish with the treating physicians’ testimony that the injuries and surgeries were caused by the collision.

Firm Partner Mo Aziz obtained a settlement for $2.9 million for a young mother and her child in a motor vehicle collision. Defendant was stopped on the shoulder of the freeway facing oncoming traffic when he suddenly made a right turn onto the road. The mother, who was pregnant at the time, was a passenger in a vehicle that was unable to avoid colliding into Defendant. As a result of the extensive injuries she sustained, doctors were forced to perform an emergency C-section to save her child, delivering her baby three months premature. The settlement obtained by Mr. Aziz will help pay for the pain and suffering, physical impairment, and future medical care needed by this mother and her child.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.9 million settlement in a Motor vehicle accident case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2,850,000 settlement in a chemical plant explosion case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.8 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.8 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.7 million settlement in a engineering negligence case

Firm attorneys Brant Stogner and attorney Jennifer Stogner obtained a $2.6 million policy limits total settlement for a husband and daughter that lost their wife and mother, respectively, in this auto-pedestrian fatality accident. The case involved two auto accidents at the exact same intersection, but about 40 minutes apart. In the first accident, the young female client caused a collision by failing to yield the right-of-way at the four-way stop. Nobody was injured in the first collision, and the wrecked vehicles were cleared to the side of the roadway. The young female client called her parents, as this was her first auto collision ever. Her mother arrived at the scene first and was helping her daughter with the exchange of information while waiting for law enforcement to arrive at the scene. Those involved in the first collision were standing on the corner of the intersection in the grass. Unfortunately, a second collision occurred at the same intersection while all the pedestrians were still standing in the grass and prior to law enforcement arriving. The second collision involved an SUV and a commercial truck that was hauling heavy equipment on a trailer for a small equipment rental company. The SUV failed to yield the right-of-way and the commercial truck struck the SUV, causing the vehicles to head into the corner of the intersection where the pedestrians were congregated. The mother who arrived to assist her daughter was struck by the truck, dragged under the trailer, and pinned beneath it. Her husband arrived at the scene to assist his daughter in a fender-bender, but found his wife pinned under the commercial truck’s trailer with catastrophic injuries. She died on her way to the hospital. Her surviving husband and daughter hired Brant Stogner to represent them for their wrongful death claims and survival claims. Brant and Jennifer Stogner were able to take the policy limits of all drivers and vehicles involved in the incident after extensive litigation. Despite the crash report placing no blame on the commercial truck driver, Brant and Jennifer were able to establish that the truck driver was unfit for driving commercial vehicles and ignored the red flags at the intersection prior to entering it. The commercial driver and the small equipment rental company ultimately settled for all their insurance limits in the amount of $2 million. The vehicle that failed to yield the right-of-way in the second collision also settled for its full insurance limits of $300,000, as did the clients’ own auto insurer on the Underinsured Motorist claims. On the eve of trial, the parties settled for all limits of all applicable insurance policies of all vehicles involved.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2,575,000 settlement in an oilfield injury accident case.

Abraham Watkins obtained a multiple seven figure settlement involving a plane crash that resulted in the death of the plane’s two occupants. The case was highly contested by the defense and settled just before trial.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2,500,000 settlement in a premises liability case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.5 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.5 million settlement in a car accident case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.5 million settlement in a Oil & Gas workplace accident case

Firm Partner Brant Stogner secured a settlement for an oilfield worker that was injured on the wellsite when a worker backed his work truck into the client and pinned him between two vehicles. The client suffered a spine injury and ultimately required lumbar spine surgery.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.4 million settlement in a Premises liability case

Firm Partner Brant Stogner obtained a $2.3 million settlement for a woman that was injured while riding a motorcycle. The client suffered multiple spine fractures when a pizza delivery driver struck her motorcycle and caused her ejection onto the roadway. Through litigation and investigation, Mr. Stogner was able to prove that the delivery driver was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the collision and should not have been hired by the pizza company.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.3 million settlement in a commercial vehicle accident case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2,257,000 settlement in a commercial vehicle accident case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2,222,500 million settlement in auto pedestrian accident.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.2 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.2 million settlement in a premises liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2,200,000 million settlement in an improperly mounted tire case.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2.1 million settlement in a products liability case

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented a woman that was involved in a T-bone collision with a commercial delivery driver. The woman ultimately presented to the hospital the following day and had several lumbar spine surgeries in the months following the collision. Mr. Stogner was hired by the injured victim and her husband and filed suit against the commercial delivery driver for negligent operation of a motor vehicle and against the driver’s employer for vicarious liability and negligent hiring. The defense position was that this collision was too minor to have caused any injuries and that the client’s injuries, if any, were all pre-existing in nature. The defense pointed to the client’s prior medical records and history of low back pain and treatment in the years, and even days, prior to the wreck. Mr. Stogner was able to establish that the delivery driver should have been disqualified from employment with the delivery company based on his driving record and criminal history. Additionally, Mr. Stogner hired biomechanical experts, hired accident reconstructionist experts, deposed all of the client’s treating physicians, and was able to establish evidence that the injuries sustained by the client were caused in the relatively minor collision. On the eve of trial, after deposing each of the defendants’ multiple retained experts, Mr. Stogner was able to reach a settlement with the defendants for a total of $2,075,000 to the injured victim and her husband.

Abraham Watkins attorneys Jennifer Stogner and William Farmer settled a $2 Million blown Stowers case arising from a motor vehicle accident where the responsible driver’s auto policy limit was $100,000. The total settlement was 20X the stated policy limit.

Abraham Watkins reached a settlement with our clients employer, manufacturer of commercial lift gate, and installer of lift gate for work place accident that resulted in head injuries for the client.

Abraham Watkins reached a $2 million settlement in a off shore oil rig explosion case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2 million settlement in a products liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2 million settlement in a car accident case

Abraham Watkins reached a $2 million settlement in a negligent shooting premise liability case

Abraham Watkins reached a $1,999,000 million settlement in an electrocution workplace accident case

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented a business that was damaged by Hurricane Rita for insurance bad faith and violations of the Texas Insurance Code. Following the damage caused by the storm, this business owner filed his insurance claim with his insurance agent and his insurance company for property damages to his store and the furniture inventory on the showroom floor. The insurance company did not respond to the claim and the insurance agent represented to the business owner that the damages were not covered under the policy. Despite the insurance limits being only $500,000, the firm was able to file suit against the insurance company and the insurance agent, show that coverage was afforded for the Hurricane damages, and ultimately obtain a settlement of over three times the insurance limits ($1.75 Million).

Abraham Watkins represented a number of individuals who sustained personal injury and/or property damage when a tractor-trailer transporting explosive materials crashed and exploded.

A former firm partner and firm attorney obtained a $1,097,287 arbitration award on behalf of the owners of 14 condominiums in Galveston. During construction, the exterior skin of the condominium was changed from pre-cast concrete to stucco. The project’s engineer did not sign off on the change. The new skin had not been approved for use in coastal developments, which meant that it would not qualify for standard insurance coverage. The lawsuit alleged that the construction lender knew about this change and its ramifications before the condominium owners closed on their units. Our clients alleged that they were not informed of the change and had they known, would not have closed on their units. According to the arbitrator, the construction lender’s actions constituted fraud in a real estate transaction. The arbitrator found that each condominium owner relied on the letter that was sent to them before closing on their units. Most importantly, the arbitrator determined that fraud perpetrated by the bank caused the purchasers to overpay significantly for their condominiums.

Firm Partner Mo Aziz successfully obtained a seven figure settlement for a husband and wife against a truck driver and his trucking company. The truck driver stopped his tractor- trailer in the middle of lanes of traffic on a highway during dense fog, causing the wife to collide with the rear of the tractor-trailer. Mr. Aziz, a skilled attorney in taking depositions, was able to use the driver’s own testimony to show his negligence in driving during through intense fog for purely economic reasons. Mr. Aziz was also able to masterfully portray the negligent hiring, supervision and training of the trucking company. As a result, Mr. Aziz was able to obtain a settlement after taking only two depositions and without the need to retain any experts.

Firm Partner Mo Aziz successfully obtained a settlement for a husband and wife after the husband’s motorcycle struck the side of a van that had failed to yield to the right of way. The husband lost consciousness as a result of the collision and suffered lacerations to his head and legs, including a left patella fracture, and his medical bills approached $160,000. After the collision, the defendant attempted to avoid responsibility and shift the blame to the injured victim. During the investigation, Mr. Aziz was able to review the van driver’s cell phone records and determine that he had been awake most of the previous night and not properly rested at the time of the incident. As a result, Mr. Aziz was able to reach a settlement on behalf of the family.

Abraham Watkins obtained a seven figure settlement on behalf of the family of a victim who was killed when the car’s seatback failed after being rear-ended by another vehicle.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented a gentleman that was rear-ended by a distracted driver in a F-250 pickup truck. The client had a prior lumbar fusion and the trauma from the incident caused the fusion construct to become unstable. The insurer for the at-fault party disputed the injuries as pre-existing and refused to fairly negotiate prior to litigation. The liability insurer’s position was that the sun was in its insured driver’s eyes and that the firm’s client had stopped suddenly thereby causing the collision. Mr. Stogner filed suit on behalf of the client, deposed the defendant driver, and was able to prove that the defendant driver did not have adequate rest, was operating his cellphone while driving, and essentially fell asleep at the wheel in the seconds prior to the collision. Mr. Stogner also took the depositions of the client’s numerous treating physicians and was able to establish that the collision caused new injuries that would likely require surgery in the future to correct the damage. Mr. Stogner utilized expert testimony from a life care planner and economist to calculate the likely future damages. On the eve of trial, Mr. Stogner was able to reach a settlement with the insurer for the defendant driver in the amount of $950,000 on behalf of his client.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented a young man that was struck while riding his motorcycle by an auto parts delivery driver. The delivery driver only carried the minimum liability insurance limits and was hired as an independent contractor for a staffing company that sent its drivers to deliver products for a large auto parts company. The delivery driver’s personal insurer offered the policy limits of $30,000 to settle the claim. Mr. Stogner filed suit and through numerous depositions was able to prove that the delivery driver was, in substance, an employee for the auto parts company on the date of the incident, and the staffing company, despite their intent to carry and treat the delivery driver as an independent contractor. On the eve of trial, Mr. Stogner was able to negotiate a substantial settlement with the auto parts company and the staffing company on top of the minimum limits of the delivery driver.

Firm Partner Mo Aziz and a former firm partner successfully represented the family of a motorcycle rider who was run over by the wheels of a tractor-trailer. The rider struck a curb after he was forced to take evasive action when the tractor-trailer made an unsafe lane change and fell off his bike. Though the defendants attempted to shift blame onto the rider, Mr. Aziz was able to masterfully show the negligence of the tractor-trailer driver as well as the company’s negligent entrustment of the tractor-trailer. As a result, Mr. Aziz was able to obtain a six-figure settlement on behalf of the family.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented the widow of a man that lost his life in a motorcycle accident while traveling out of state. Although the decedent was covered by an accidental death policy through his employer, the insurer denied the widow’s claim for benefits under the policy due to an exclusion in the policy. After investigating the claim history and sending the statutory demand letter pursuant to the Texas Insurance Code, Brant was able to obtain in excess of $500,000.00 to settle the wrongful denial of the insurance proceeds with the insurer.

Firm Partner Mo Aziz obtained a verdict on behalf of a recruiting firm that was not compensated for its role in the transfer of ten attorneys from one firm to another. The recruiting firm had placed the defendant in contact with the potential transferees but was later told by the defendant that it was no longer interested in that group of attorneys. Shortly after this discussion the defendant announced that it hired ten attorneys from the group represented by the recruiting firm. Mr. Aziz successfully argued that both the law and evidence showed that the defendant utilized the recruiting firm’s efforts to hire the clients it introduced to defendant. The judge found that despite a lack of a written contract, the recruiting firm was entitled to recovery under an equitable theory in Texas law called Quantum Meruit. The verdict was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Firm attorney Lena Laurenzo represented a woman that was rear-ended while stopped in traffic on the Northwest Freeway service road in Houston, Texas. The client was not the only victim of the crash, but her car was totaled and ended up going to the hospital that night. The client decided to hire Abraham Watkins to help her as she suffered injuries primarily to her low back and neck. Although liability was clear, the defendant’s insurance still fought the case even though the defendant driver knew she was responsible for this crash and the client’s injuries. The case ultimately settled at mediation for $400,000.00.

A former firm partner obtained a settlement on behalf of a mentally disabled man who was attacked by a family’s dog. The man was riding his bicycle to the fire department, where he had served as a volunteer helper for decades. The dog bolted into the street and severely bit the man’s leg, causing such extensive injuries that the man was hospitalized for many weeks. The settlement was negotiated at a mediation conducted early in the suit.

Firm attorney Lena Laurenzo represented a grandmother who was violently rear-ended while stopped at an intersection light in Greenville, Texas. The driver was distracted and not paying attention to the road. The crash resulted in severe low back injuries, and the grandmother decided to hire Abraham Watkins when the insurance company failed to take her claim seriously. Lena was able to recover $175,000.00 for her client.

Firm attorney Lena Laurenzo obtained an $150,000 settlement for her clients, a Texas mother and her minor daughter. The clients were on their way home traveling in the dedicated right lane to make a right turn at the next light. As the mother was approaching the protected turn, an 18-wheeler jumped the curb from the left lane and sideswiped the entire driver’s side of the clients’ car. The vehicle was shoved onto the curb until the 18-wheeler came to a stop. Lena was hired and filed a lawsuit against the truck driver and the trucking company. The driver of the 18-wheeler testified that he never saw the vehicle until after impact. A settlement was obtained after only three depositions.

Abraham Watkins Partner Mo Aziz and associate Karl Long represented a family who was injured when an 18-Wheeler operated by Greener Pastures, Inc. crossed the center-line and struck the driver’s side of the clients’ vehicle.The driver sustained a fractured pelvis, which required surgery, and the back seat passenger sustained a brain injury. The case settled for policy limits without having to file suit or take a deposition.

Firm Partner Mo Aziz obtained a jury verdict on behalf of a driver involved in a rear-end collision. The party that rear-ended the driver did not have sufficient insurance to pay for the damages suffered by the driver, so the driver’s own insurance carrier became liable for underinsured motorist benefits. The defendant refused to acknowledge that the collision caused any injuries to the driver. Although the driver suffered from a preexisting degenerative disc disease in his back, Mr. Aziz was able to artfully impress upon the jury the fact that the collision aggravated the driver’s condition. While the driver’s medical bills were only $2,445, the jury returned a verdict over 40 times that amount.

High school girl heading home was struck head on by drunk driver who fled the scene with his vehicle on three wheels. Defendant was arrested trying to get into his apartment complex and was belligerent with police on the body cam footage. Defendant’s insurance did not want to pay the reasonable demand for the policy limits and blew Stowers so we demanded the $75k and when they determined that they had indeed blown Stowers they offered the entire amount.

A firm attorney represented an elderly gentleman in an assault case in late 2011. After a minor car accident, which caused no damage to either vehicle or driver, the defendant got out of his car, walked over to the client’s car, and punched the client in the face. The defendant fled the scene. Though the defendant denied punching the client, an eye witness was present and was able to capture the defendant’s information. The unanimous jury awarded $15,000 in compensatory damages and $55,000 in punitive damages.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented a young woman that was rear-ended while waiting at a traffic light. Although the offending driver was clearly responsible for all damages caused in the collision, the insurer for the offending driver maintained that it was impossible for any injuries to have occurred due to the minimal impact of the collision. The impact caused less than $500 in property damages to the client’s vehicle. The insurer for the at-fault driver offered no compensation for the medical bills, pain, or impairment of the client. Brant and the firm filed a negligence lawsuit and worked the case in preparation for a trial. A Harris County jury returned a verdict in the client’s favor for $34,855.00. The client was also able to recover court costs and interest on top of the jury’s verdict.

A firm attorney obtained a confidential 8 figure settlement on behalf of a family whose house exploded as a result of an underground natural gas leak. The gas operator failed to properly monitor and inspect their lines which led to a major underground leak. The gas eventually migrated through the soil and into the home of our clients. Two people, a mother and daughter, were inside the home when it exploded. At the time of the explosion, a worker for the gas company was sitting in his truck outside of the home investigating a leak in the neighbor’s back yard. At no point did the worker inform our clients of the gas leak or the need to evacuate the area. During the litigation, it was discovered that another employee of the gas company lied during his deposition and the supervisor of the company had destroyed documents after the explosion. The firm was able to secure a settlement which helped fund a special needs trust for the young lady who survived the explosion but had been left permanently disabled. As a result of the litigation, the gas company has gone back and re-inspected all of the underground lines in the area for additional leaks.

Firm Partner Benny Agosto, Jr. obtained a confidential settlement, aggregating a total of seven-figures, on behalf of twenty-three clients who sustained serious injuries from an explosion while working at a chemical plant in Port Arthur, Texas in April of 2013. The contractor ultimately responsible for the explosion failed to not only properly train its employees in identifying the correct equipment to be used, but also failed to provide its employees with the proper equipment to perform the work. The proper equipment for the project required the use of non-explosion proof droplights to illuminate the quench settler drum the company was contracted to clean, especially in the presence of hazardous chemicals. The spark started a small flame, followed by an explosion. Several other contractors were working directly outside of the drum, and in the vicinity surrounding. When the explosion occurred, workers ran to escape, in fear of their lives. Numerous workers were seriously injured during the course of their escape. Mr. Agosto was able to secure an individual settlement for each of the twenty-three clients which helped compensate his clients for the serious physical and emotional injuries they sustained as a result of the explosion.

Firm Partner Benny Agosto, Jr. reached a confidential settlement in a fracking site death case. In this matter, a line boss in training for a fracking company, was working near the pump trucks. A crane was holding up a lubricator tool (a steel pipe) vertically a number of feet in the air, and a wireline was pulling a perforating gun (45′ steel pipe) into it. During this process the wireline failed and the perforating gun was released falling on and killing our client. The engineer in control of the wireline was inexperienced and there was eye witness testimony that he was pulling the perforating gun at a rapid pace. Additionally, the parties in control of this wireline operation failed to ensure that the fall radius of the perforating gun was clear of non-essential personnel throughout the operation. There was further evidence that the use of an entry guide at the base of the lubricator would have aided in the safe entry of the perforating gun, however, there was testimony that a guide was not allowed in order to save time during the fracking process. Mr. Agosto obtained a settlement significant enough to care and provide for the wife, five children, and mother of the deceased.

Firm Partners Benny Agosto, Jr. and Brant Stogner settled the multi-party lawsuit arising out of the ejection of a golf cart passenger at the 2013 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Because the injured victim remained in a coma throughout the case, the firm attorneys represented the family members in their case against the golf cart operator, the Rodeo, the Pennsylvania partnership charged with controlling the NRG (then Reliant) complex, the Conroe golf cart dealership that leased and later sold the golf cart to the Rodeo, and the Georgia golf cart dealership that improperly modified and stretched the golf cart. In stretching the golf cart, the Georgia dealership improperly removed the overhead handles and improperly positioned the hip restraint for the front-row passenger. The end result was a dangerous and defective golf cart that completely lacked minimum safety features and found its way to the Rodeo for the purpose of transporting people. The firm attorneys sought compensation for the life-altering and catastrophic injuries suffered by the ejected occupant and for her ongoing medical care, which experts had calculated to be in excess of $6 Million. On the eve of trial, Mr. Agosto and Mr. Stogner were able to obtain a confidential settlement with all defendants.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented a passenger on a motorcycle that suffered catastrophic injuries after colliding with car driven by a young commercial delivery driver. The client suffered multiple fractures and a traumatic brain injury with a short coma. The commercial delivery driver failed to yield the right-of-way and turned left directly into the path of the motorcycle, killing the motorcycle operator and ejecting the passenger. Through countless depositions in preparation for trial, Mr. Stogner was able to establish that the commercial delivery driver was running late, had not been properly trained, was operating two cell phones at the time of the collision, had been sending and receiving text messages on the fatal delivery, and was driving with his seat fully reclined and obscured vision. Through social media research, Mr. Stogner was able to gather crucial information and, when the delivery driver was deposed, the delivery driver pled the 5th Amendment with regards to whether he was driving under the influence of marijuana at the time of the incident. After the pretrial conference and at the courthouse steps, Mr. Stogner was able to negotiate a substantial, confidential seven-figure settlement with the commercial delivery company for his client.

A former firm partner achieved a settlement in an amount necessary to care for our 67-year-old client who was allowed to walk and stand unassisted for approximately 45 minutes after being put under general anesthesia used during a prostate biopsy. While standing unassisted and still impacted by the effects of the narcotics, he fell hitting his head and ultimately becoming a quadriplegic. The settlement included both a lump sum and future annuity payments to provide for the increase in cost of his care throughout our client’s lifetime.

A firm attorney obtained a confidential seven figure settlement for a construction worker and his family as a result of the worker’s arms being amputated. The worker came in contact with a high voltage overhead power line while performing roofing work on a residential construction project. Following an extensive investigation, prior to filing the lawsuit, it was clear that the home builder improperly built the home into the overhead aerial easement in violation of building codes and industry standards. As a result, he was able to reach the settlement on behalf of the family without the need to take any depositions of the defendant’s employees.

A former firm partner achieved a settlement in an amount necessary to care for our 34-year old client who was overdosed with Dilantin, a drug used to control seizures. Our client was given more than ten times the normal dose of Dilantin in a period of less than three days. The Dilantin overdose caused respiratory suppression which caused her brain to be deprived of oxygen to the point that she suffered permanent brain damage. She now requires twenty-four hour care and assistance with all aspects of daily living. The settlement included both a lump sum and future annuity payments which were deposited into a special needs trust to provide for the increase in cost of her care throughout our client’s lifetime.

Firm attorneys Benny Agosto, Jr. and Jonathan Sneed reached a confidential settlement against Interstate Meat Distributors, Inc., on behalf of one of its workers who was tragically killed after falling into an industrial-sized meat grinder. On the night of the incident, Hugo Avalos was sanitizing a large meat grinder at a processing factory in Clackamas, Oregon, when a hose provided by the factory unexpectedly got caught in the moving blades and pulled the worker into the grinder. Upon learning of the incident, Mr. Avalos’ fellow employees rushed to engage the machine’s emergency shutoff, but it was too late. Mr. Avalos was pronounced dead at the scene and is survived by his loving wife and three young children. The firm’s investigation revealed the factory made conscious decisions to keep the meat grinders running and unguarded during routine sanitization without providing any measures to prevent workers from falling into the grinders. Moreover, the facility made these decisions despite being warned by OSHA of the dangers in leaving machinery unguarded just a few months before Mr. Avalos’ death. After a lengthy legal battle, the attorneys for the family of Mr. Avalos were able to reach a confidential and favorable settlement agreement with facility owner Interstate Meat Distributors, Inc.

A firm attorney recently obtained a confidential settlement for the families of two men tragically burned to death when a 14-inch natural gas pipeline was struck by a piece of equipment operated by one of their co-workers. The line strike led to an enormous release of natural gas which ignited engulfing both men in flames. Suit was filed against the mens’ employer for gross negligence as well as against the pipeline owner/operator for not having adequate pipeline markers on the line. During the discovery process, it became clear that the employer failed to make a “one-call” for the excavation work that was being performed. Even with the major hurdle in the case against the pipeline company, he was still able to secure a significant settlement for the families from the pipeline company. He and the firm have extensive experience handling cases involving pipeline ruptures and explosions.

Firm nurse attorney Imrana Manzanares and a former firm partner obtained a confidential multi-million-dollar settlement on behalf of a client who was permanently paralyzed due to medical negligence. The client went to the hospital with the inability to move his leg. That inability progressed to paralysis from the chest down. Those complaints were consistent with a potential diagnosis of a spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, imaging to confirm the spinal cord injury was not performed for several days. By the time imaging confirmed the spinal cord injury diagnosis, the window of opportunity to operate and reverse the paralysis had passed, and the client remained permanently paralyzed. The firm was able to secure a settlement which helped provide finances for the client to cover past medical bills, future medical bills, home modifications and medical equipment, amongst other needs.

Firm attorneys Benny Agosto, Jr. and Lena Laurenzo settled a federal court lawsuit arising out of the death of a worker at a Texas manufacturing plant. The fatality occurred during a maintenance task that was being performed when a large piece of machinery fell on top of the worker. The worker died shortly thereafter due to the crush injuries he sustained. Christmas was only days away, and one of the worker’s daughters was to be married in two weeks. The worker’s family hired Abraham Watkins, and Mr. Agosto and Ms. Laurenzo got to work immediately. The case was complex, requiring multiple inspections and depositions in two different states, and was focused on the employer company’s lack of safety policies, training, and supervision over the maintenance task. As a result, Mr. Agosto and Ms. Laurenzo were able to reach a large confidential settlement with the worker’s company.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented, Isaiah Reagins, a minor child in his suit against a Houston charter school and the teachers and administrators. Isaiah Reagins was the thirteen-year-old boy that was attacked by his teacher, Sherri Lynn Davis, while at school. The beating was videotaped by a fellow student and went viral on the internet shortly after the attack. While the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Rangers were investigating the school, Brant Stogner pursued civil remedies on behalf of the injured student against the private charter school, the teacher that attacked Isaiah, the teacher that stood by during the attack, and the administrators that attempted to cover up the incident. As a result, Brant Stogner was able to obtain a substantial confidential settlement that was placed in a trust for the benefit of Isaiah when he becomes an adult.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented the family of a teenager that was severely injured when a neighbor accidentally discharged a BB gun that injured the teen’s eye. The teen lost vision in the injured eye and had to receive a surgical prosthesis. A confidential six figure settlement was reached with the insurance company of the family responsible for leaving the loaded weapon on the nearby porch.

Firm Partner Mo Aziz and a former firm partner successfully represented a broker in an oil rig purchase deal for Chinese manufactures rigs for nonpayment of commissions. The parties entered into an agreement wherein the commission would be paid in two installments, but no commission was ever paid. During the course of litigation, it became clear that defendant was attempting to shift the blame to the broker and claim it was the broker that breached the contract. Determined that his client was the real victim, Mr. Aziz was able to obtain a settlement on the eve of trial and force the defendant to pay the broker its rightful compensation.

Firm Partner Nick Nichols successfully obtained a confidential seven figure settlement against an automobile dealer and the manufacturer following the death of a young lady whose car was not properly repaired when she took it in for a safety recall. During the investigation, the attorneys were able to determine that the dealership never performed the recall work even though they provided the customer with a receipt showing they did and were paid for the work by the manufacturer. With a team of highly qualified experts and detailed oriented work ethic, the attorneys were able to provide the family with an answer of really happened to their loved one.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented a roofer that was severely injured when inspecting a Houston commercial building. The client was at the premises to inspect the roof of the building and make bids for HVAC work that was needed. When attempting to reach the roof through the use of a ladder that was bolted to the side of the building, the client fell over 20 feet and suffered multiple fractures. The commercial building was leased to a local business and did not have internal access to the roof. The client and the firm filed the lawsuit against both the owner and the tenant alleging an unreasonably dangerous condition, the ladder. The bolted ladder did not comply with existing code regulations and lacked the basic safety components needed to make it reasonably safe. The defendants in the action maintained that the roofer was responsible for his own injuries and that nobody else has ever had any difficulties using the ladder for roof access. Despite the defendants’ protestations, Brant and the firm were able to reach a confidential six figure settlement with both the tenant and the owner of the premises.

Firm Partner Benny Agosto, Jr. has reached a confidential settlement on behalf of Glenn Golden regarding a crash that occurred on August 30, 2015. The settlement brings a favorable end to his lawsuit seeking compensation for severe injuries he sustained when his brakes failed while participating in a non-competitive driver’s education event at the Circuit of America’s track in Austin, Texas. On this particular day, Mr. Golden was traveling around the Circuit of America’s track in his 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z51 at a high rate of speed. Upon entering Turn 12 of the track, he realized his brakes weren’t working and ended up crashing into the barriers, deploying all airbags. As a result of the crash, Mr. Golden sustained severe injuries including a fractured vertebrae. Through persistent efforts, Mr. Agosto was able to reach a confidential settlement alleging General Motors was negligent for a design and/or marketing defect.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner obtained a confidential seven-figure settlement on behalf of a widow and her daughter for the wrongful death of the husband and father. A tow truck driver was towing a disabled 18-wheeler and attempted to cross U.S. Highway 59 near Wharton, Texas. The decedent was traveling from Houston to El Campo, Texas to attend his 60th High School Reunion. The tow truck driver attempted to cross southbound lanes and merge into northbound traffic in one maneuver in a 120-foot vehicle combination. The tow truck driver was unable to merge northbound with traffic and, as a result, was blocking all southbound lanes and shoulders at the moment of the collision with decedent’s vehicle. The decedent died immediately upon impact with the 18-wheeler. The insurance company for the tow truck driver and the tow truck company denied all responsibility and blamed the decedent for failing to see the vehicle in tow that was blocking the lanes. Mr. Stogner filed suit in Wharton County, Texas and through numerous depositions, Mr. Stogner was able to prove that the tow truck driver needlessly endangered the lives of all motorists on the roadway that night because there were multiple, safer options for accessing northbound Highway 59 that did not require the tow truck driver to cross all southbound lanes. Mr. Stogner was also able to establish that the disabled 18-wheeler was not powered or illuminated at the time of the collision, despite the tow truck driver’s testimony that he was sure the vehicle in tow had lights on. Mr. Stogner and the experts he retained were also able to establish through the black box download that the decedent was driving below the speed limit and had braked prior to the collision. After extensive litigation, Mr. Stogner was able to prove that the tow truck driver and the tow truck company were solely responsible for causing the untimely death of the decedent and the case settled prior to trial for a confidential seven-figure amount.

Firm Partner Nick Nichols successfully represented the family of a father and son who were hit head on by an 18-wheeler while on their annual trip to the deer lease. The truck driver passed out on the interstate during broad daylight and drove his 80,000 pound semi across the median and into oncoming traffic. Two people were killed in the crash and there were several other serious injuries. The investigation completed by our lawyers revealed that the truck driver had been taking very powerful narcotics and hiding the prescriptions from his employer. After the crash, the trucking company tried to cover up the medical evidence, but our team of experts was able to track down the information. The company did not have enough insurance to adequately compensate all the injured parties, but Abraham Watkins was able to force the company itself to may a confidential seven figure settlement out of its own pocket.

Firm Partners Mo Aziz and a former firm partner obtained a confidential settlement for a mother and her family against a major automobile manufacturer after the mother lost control of her SUV and rolled over. As a result of the rollover, the roof of the SUV collapsed, injuring the mother’s neck and resulting in quadriplegia. Working with a team of highly qualified experts, Mr. Aziz argued that the vehicle lacked electronic stability control and inadequate roof strength to properly protect a driver in the event of a foreseeable rollover. As a result, Mr. Aziz was able to reach a settlement on behalf of the family without the need of a long and drawn out trial.

Firm Partner Benny Agosto, Jr. has reached a confidential settlement on behalf of a widow regarding a crash that occurred on February 1, 2016. The settlement brings a favorable end to the widow’s wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for the death of her husband—a loving husband, father, and renowned flight instructor—that occurred when the light sport aircraft he was piloting crashed upon takeoff. The deceased, Mr. Johnny Johnson, was a flight instructor instructing a student in a model Tecnam P92 Echo Super single-engine, two-seater plane. The plane had just taken off, when something went wrong and caused the plane to veer out of control. The plane violently hit the ground and burst into flames killing Mr. Johnson. This confidential settlement comes as a result of Mr. Agosto alleging the flight school was negligent for failing to properly inspect, maintain, and/or repair its equipment.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented an infant and the surviving family members of two women that were killed in a propane gas explosion. Two women, both grandmothers of the infant, were in the kitchen of a rural home that had just been inherited by one of the women. The day prior to the explosion, the home was serviced by a local propane delivery company that provided 200 lbs. of LP gas to the home’s above ground storage tank. The next day, one of the ladies lit the stove to cook breakfast and the home exploded. The baby sustained 3rd degree burns to over 50% of his body and spent the next several months in the burn unit at Shriners Hospital. Both women ultimately succumbed to burn-related injuries and died in the days after the explosion. Mr. Stogner was hired by the various surviving family members and filed suit against the local propane company for negligence and gross negligence. After multiple depositions and expert inspections, Mr. Stogner was able to establish that the propane delivery technician ignored the law and did not conduct the proper and mandated testing on the LP gas system prior to the introduction of the highly combustible gas into the system. Mr. Stogner was able to reach a confidential seven-figure settlement for his clients that provided the limits of all available insurance policies. Mr. Stogner is still in touch with the baby and his family to this day.

Firm Partners Mo Aziz and Nick Nichols effectively represented a husband and wife after the wife fell off a Segway personal transport while on a tour of Austin, Texas. The woman was touring the city with her family when she fell off the Segway several times. The tour guide repeatedly placed the woman back onto the Segway, even though it was apparent she was having difficulty. On the last fall, she suffered severe head injuries and brain damage. In addition to exposing the negligence of the tour guide, who disappeared immediately after the incident, an investigation led by Mr. Aziz revealed that Defendant had no release signed by the woman. Mr. Aziz was able to reach a settlement on behalf of the family after skillfully articulating how a missing release, coupled with a “phantom” negligent tour guide, would play well for the injured woman in front of a jury.

Firm attorneys Benny Agosto, Jr. and Lena Laurenzo reached a large confidential settlement on behalf of their client who was injured in a pedestrian-automotive collision. Their client, a pedestrian, was using a crosswalk when, suddenly and without warning, a security company vehicle struck him while making a left turn. The collision was so severe that the pedestrian flew off the hood of the vehicle, and he was immediately hospitalized. He required surgery to fix his broken wrist and also sustained fractures to his face. The collision left the pedestrian legally blind in one eye due to the location of the blunt head trauma he suffered. After the pedestrian hired Mr. Agosto and Ms. Laurenzo, they immediately began investigating the cause of this devastating collision and filed suit against the security company and the driver. During the depositions of the driver and police officer, the team uncovered that the driver had told the police officer a different story that was determined to be false. The legal team had questions about the adequacy of the security company’s training and supervision program for its security guards who drive company vehicles all over the Dallas-Fort Worth area. After several depositions and months of discovery, Mr. Agosto and Ms. Laurenzo were able to settle the case for a large, confidential amount.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented a business in its lawsuit against its insurance agent and agency for violations of the Texas Insurance Code. The business sought insurance coverage for workplace injuries and negligence and was assured by its insurance agent that such coverage was afforded through the policy brokered. Despite the language of the insurance contract that clearly excluded such coverage, Brant Stogner was able to establish multiple errors in the placement of coverage by the agent. Although the insurance agent testified that all parties were aware of the exclusion of coverage from the start, Brant Stogner was able to prove that even the insurance agent initially believed there to be coverage, despite the actual language of the contract. As such, the insurance agent made material representations to the business about the policy’s coverage that was incorrect. Such representations are violations of the Texas Insurance Code and entitle the policyholder to damages produced by the misrepresentation. Brant Stogner was able to obtain a confidential six figure settlement to compensate the business for its damages caused by the lack of coverage.

Firm Partner Brant Stogner represented three individuals that were in a home that exploded due to an LP gas leak. The owners of the home, husband and wife, were hosting the wife’s brother. All three of them went to sleep one night and awoke to an explosion and a fire. The home’s LP gas system had been serviced a few days prior to the explosion by a propane gas delivery company. After the explosion, all three individuals were treated for burn related injuries and hearing loss. Mr. Stogner was hired on this case after speaking on local news regarding the explosion in the hours subsequent to the explosion when it was being reported on by the Houston media. Mr. Stogner filed suit against the propane delivery company for negligence and gross negligence. After multiple depositions and expert inspections, Mr. Stogner was able to establish that the propane delivery technician ignored the law and did not conduct the proper and mandated testing on the LP gas system prior to the introduction of the highly combustible gas into the system. Mr. Stogner was able to reach a confidential seven-figure settlement for his clients that provided the limits of all available insurance policies.

Firm Partner Mo Aziz successfully obtained a settlement against several insurance companies as a result of the underpayment of a Hurricane Ike claim. During the Hurricane, the commercial building suffered severe wind damage to the roof, walls, and foundation. The building’s owner was forced to make stop-gap repairs to limit water intrusion into the building in an effort to mitigate damages while waiting for the defendants to pay the claim. During the course of litigation, it became clear that the defendants breached the insurance contract and violated several chapters of the Texas Insurance Code. Using a team of highly qualified experts and a meticulous work ethic in reviewing several thousand documents, Mr. Aziz was able to obtain a settlement and make the defendants pay the property owner its rightful compensation.