Paul W. Bennett

Experience

Products Liability/Fire – Achieved defense verdict at jury trial of a fire claim involving a defective electrical transformer and a property damage claim in excess of $500,000.

Product Liability/Medical Device – Achieved a favorable, early settlement for medical device distributor in multi-party products liability case involving amputation.  The rest of the case went on for years after the settlement.

Dram Shop (alcohol liability) – Achieved defense verdict for restaurant and bar after jury trial of a dram shop case filed by a Plaintiff who was allegedly injured by an intoxicated patron.

Salmonella Food Poisoning – Achieved a defense verdict at trial for a national restaurant chain accused of poisoning a patron with tainted food.

Passenger Car Accident – Achieved defense verdict at trial for motorist in case involving a sideswipe accident on a freeway and a claimed lumbar fusion. 

Multi-vehicle Rear End Accident – Achieved a defense verdict at trial in the defense of a construction company and its commercial driver who rear ended other motorists in a multi-vehicle collision.

Construction/Wrongful Death – Obtained a complete summary judgment, later upheld on appeal, for general contractor sued over the death of a subcontractor employee from a fall on a construction site.

Construction Defect – Successfully defended roofing and waterproofing subcontractor in arbitration proceeding against over $10 million in construction defect claims associated with water infiltration and rot, with an ultimate award of less than 4% of the total claimed.  This successful outcome resulted in the settlement of five other pending claims against the client on favorable terms.

Premises Liability – Obtained a complete summary judgment in favor of general contractor accused of faulty roof repairs on a commercial building that led to leaks and a claimed slip and fall accident and claim of a resulting lumbar fusion.

Trucking – Achieved a defense verdict at trial for truck driver in a freeway sideswipe accident involving a paraplegic Plaintiff.

Trucking – Achieved a defense verdict at trial, later affirmed on appeal, for a retailer accused of improper loading of cargo that resulted in a commercial truck roll over accident and serious injuries.

Trucking – Defended national retailer and its truck driver at trial, with a verdict of less than 15% of the Plaintiff’s last demand, and less than half of the client’s last pre-trial offer.

Professional Malpractice – Obtained complete summary judgment for a commercial real estate appraiser, later affirmed on appeal, facing multi-million dollar claims involving the appraisal of undeveloped tracts of commercial real estate near downtown Fort Worth.

Professional Malpractice – Obtained complete summary judgment for a commercial real estate appraiser, facing multi-million dollar claims involving the appraisal of a planned development in Parker County, Texas.

Professional Malpractice – Obtained complete summary judgment, later affirmed on appeal, for a commercial real estate broker facing multi-million dollar claims involving alleged misrepresentations in the sale of a ranch.

Professional Malpractice – Successfully defended appraisers before the Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board and obtained substantial reductions of proposed penalties and sanctions against them in enforcement proceedings.

OSHA Investigations – Successfully represented numerous employers and businesses and defended against proposed OSHA citations and penalties, including contested cases before the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission.

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