Results
Christopher Smith and John Cash Smith have represented the victims of negligence and their families and have obtained justice for many other individuals seeking help through the legal system. They have over 80 years combined legal experience. Smith Law Firm has handled a large variety of personal injury cases as well as many types of complex civil litigation including business disputes and breach of contract cases. The List of Case Results below represents the outcome of many of these cases over the course of the careers of John Cash Smith and Christopher Smith. While no law firm can guarantee or achieve a successful result in every case, the lawyers at the Smith Law Firm have shown a track record of success, diligence and passion. This approach has caused us to succeed in a diverse array of cases and courts. When hiring the Smith Law Firm to handle your case, you can be assured that they are fully committed to getting the best possible result for your case.
Any amounts listed below are gross amounts. Clients' net recoveries are less after deducting attorneys' contingent fees (up to 40% of the gross settlement), case expenses, and/or medical expenses or liens which must be repaid from the gross settlement. Also, the results listed below should not be construed as a likely result in any prospective case (no matter how similar the facts or events may seem) since there are very unique facts that apply to each individual case. Some settlement amounts are confidential due to the agreement of all parties to the case, and some results were achieved before legislative and judicial changes to the law that now cap certain types of damages such as medical malpractice. These results are not listed to create unjustified expectations about future results or recoveries, only to show past results in other cases.
List of Case Results
1. Orange, Texas resident was killed at a local port after being fatally struck by steel falling from a man lift basket resulting in $6 million settlement with the man lift operator's employer and additional confidential settlements against the general contractor, the employer, the entity that commissioned the project and the company that rented the man lift to the operators
2. Harris County refinery worker received fatal third degree burns over 80% of his body and died one month later after an explosion from a gas leak resulting in $8 million settlement
3. Chambers County, Texas, worker killed from liquid propane inhalation at gas transmission plant due to cutting of incorrect pipe because of improper instructions from plant owner; resulting in a $2 million settlement from plant owner
4. Beaumont, Texas worker received serious burns after her employer (non-comp subscriber) disabled the safety features of a large commercial clothes press resulting in $2 million judgment against employer
5. Beaumont, Texas, worker received paraplegic injuries from collapse of crane boom resulting in large verdict and confidential settlement against crane manufacturer after entry of large jury verdict for Plaintiff
6. Baytown, Texas, worker was crushed in a forklift roll over suffering serious and permanent injuries resulting in confidential settlement against the forklift operator
7. Jefferson County, Texas, worker received serious brain damage when he fell through an unguarded opening inside a tank in a refinery resulting in a confidential settlement
8. Port Arthur, Texas, worker received spinal injuries after falling while attempting to exit a man-way onto unsafe scaffolding constructed by scaffolding company resulting in confidential settlement
9. Louisiana construction worker received severe crush injuries due to crane operator negligence resulting in confidential settlement w/ employer of crane operator
10. Port Arthur, Texas, resident was beaten by store security after being accused of shoplifting resulting in confidential settlement
11. Port Arthur, Texas, worker was rear-ended at high speed by a loaded dump truck which stopped at a railroad crossing resulting in spinal fusion; confidential settlement
1. Jefferson County, Texas, female driver killed in head-on collision between two large coal hauling vehicles in a lignite mine caused by improper design of mine roads and improper traffic pattern resulting in a $4 million settlement
2. Orange, Texas, young mother parked in her yard waiting to enter street suffered permanent impairment from multiple crushing and fracture injuries when trailer disconnected from a towing vehicle and struck her vehicle because of a defective trailer coupler design resulting in a $500,000 post verdict settlement
3. Lumberton, Texas, family was broad-sided at a high rate of speed by a hot shot driver that ran a stop sign at a 4-way stop causing injuries to all occupants including spinal fusion, broken ribs; confidential settlement which included trusts for the minors
4. Port Neches, Texas, man was killed when the truck he was driving burned after being struck head-on by drunk driver who bought beer at a convenience store resulting in confidential settlement with convenience store
5. Orange County, Texas, death of a male motorcycle driver from a trailer jump off resulting in confidential settlement
6. Chambers County, Texas, 42 year old driver killed in motor vehicle pileup on Old & Lost River Bridge resulting in largest jury verdict ever in county at the time
7. Beaumont, Texas neo-natal nurse suffered severe back injuries after the ambulance in which she was riding rear-ended a line of stopped cars on Highway 87 near Crystal Beach while transporting a patient in labor to UTMB; confidential settlement
8. Beaumont, Texas resident received serious head injuries as a passenger of a negligent driver of a company truck ran the truck into a ditch after drinking on the job resulting in confidential settlement
9. Orange County, Texas, a 46 year old woman and a 34 year old man received serious neck and back injuries resulting in spinal surgeries after being struck by a vehicle driving on a closed road resulting in settlements of over $1 million recovered against both drivers and the road construction company
10. Orange, Texas resident received serious and permanent lung injuries after inhaling sodium hydroxide from a leaking tanker truck after he stopped to notify the truck of the leak; confidential settlement
11. Orange, Texas woman underwent spinal fusion after being injured in a rear-end accident caused by large company truck resulting in confidential settlement with company
12. Beaumont, Texas woman underwent cervical fusion after being rear-ended by a large company truck resulting in confidential settlement against the company
13. Orange, Texas, resident was seriously injured in Laredo, Texas as a passenger of a vehicle that was broad-sided at high speed and causing the RV in which he was traveling to roll over, resulting in confidential settlement
14. Lake Charles, Louisiana resident was killed on local bridge due to an improperly marked closed lane resulting in confidential settlement with highway contractor
15. Orange, Texas resident received permanent hip and leg injuries after striking rail cars at a railroad crossing where the railcars were parked partially in the lane of travel at night resulting in confidential settlement with railroad company
16. Orange, Texas family received confidential settlement after negligence of highway contractor caused improper lane marking resulting in death of father
17. Orange, Texas, resident was broad-sided by company truck at a high rate of speed causing his SUV to rollover which resulted in spinal surgery and a large confidential settlement with company
1. Chambers County Texas, nursing home resident suffered multiple falls, bed sores, infections, malnutrition and eventual painful death as a result of nursing home neglect resulting in confidential settlement with nursing home owner and management company
2. Southeast Texas nursing home resident killed by an unknown assailant inside the facility because of inadequate staffing and improper procedures for restraint of patients suffering from senility; resulting in a $1.2 million settlement for the family
3. Southeast Texas nursing home resident suffered multiple head injuries and massive brain damage when a fellow resident let him/her out of the front door in a wheelchair; the alarm system was not working and no doctors were notified about the fall; resulted in a $1.7 million settlement
4. Orange, Texas resident died in a rehabilitation facility after contracting an MRSA infection from a central line causing his death resulting in confidential settlements with the rehab center and physician
5. Port Arthur, Texas resident suffered leg amputation after Jefferson County nursing home failed to diagnosis infection and notify doctors in a timely manner resulting in confidential settlement with nursing home
6. Orange, Texas resident died after receiving improper treatment for an MRSA infection which led to clostridium difficile resulting in confidential settlement against her physicians
7. Silsbee, Texas resident died after improper discharge from hospital after his colon surgery had failed resulting in confidential settlement with Beaumont hospital and physician
8. Oakdale, Louisiana nursing home resident died from sepsis after contracting MRSA infection in a stage 4 bedsore resulting in a confidential settlement with Orange, Texas family
9. Baytown, Texas nursing home resident died during surgery for broken hip suffered after falling in nursing home while trying to get out of her wheelchair resulting in a confidential settlement
10. Southeast Texas nursing home resident died after falling in the nursing home due to inadequate staffing and improper fall protocols resulting in confidential settlement
11. Harris County resident died from unnecessary complications suffered during failed lung surgery resulting in settlement against surgeon
12. Southeast Texas failure to diagnose cancer resulting in delayed diagnosis and increased chemotherapy and radiation treatment resulting in a confidential settlement with physician
1. Las Cruces, New Mexico, Orange residents killed in vehicle which burned after a tractor trailer rear-ended them at a high rate of speed while they were parked in line at a Border Patrol station resulting in a confidential settlement
2. Jefferson County, Texas, man suffered crippling injuries when defectively loaded and restrained steel beams fell on him from an 18-wheeler, resulting in a large jury verdict
3. Baytown, Texas, constable was sideswiped by 18-wheeler causing serious left arm injuries; resulted in a confidential settlement with company
1. Orange, Texas, tugboat crewman suffered serious head injury in fall while stepping from his vessel to an improperly maintained dock resulting in $1.4 million settlement
2. Port Arthur, Texas, seaman suffered crushed hand after rough seas pushed boat into pier off coast of New York resulting in confidential settlement with employer
3. Orange, Texas, seaman suffered serious knee injury requiring surgery while stepping down from a ladder in rough seas resulting in a confidential settlement
1. Baytown, Texas veterinarian killed in head-on collision with a trailer that jumped off of an oncoming pickup truck resulting in $3.4 million settlement with coupler manufacturer
2. Jefferson County, Texas car accident caused serious spinal injuries to driver of a domestically manufactured vehicle in minor impact rear-end car accident where defective seatback collapsed resulting in confidential settlement with manufacturer
3. Orange, Texas housewife received severe neck and back injuries in an accident caused by a defective brake hose resulting in a confidential settlement with auto manufacturer
4. Orange, Texas resident sustained severe eye damage after hunting bow backfired into his face resulting in jury verdict against bow manufacturer
1. Orange, Texas, workover rig owner received $1.4 million settlement for damages to workover oil rig which was heavily damaged when one of its legs collapsed off the coast of Nigeria
2. $1 million verdict against mortgage company that wrongfully foreclosed on a tugboat under construction in a shipyard
3. Orange cabinet shop received large verdict against landlord after fire created by landlord totally destroyed all of owner's equipment and work in progress
4. Improper seismic testing resulted in cracked slabs of Southeast Texas homes and other property damage for multiple residents within the area resulting in confidential settlements with oil company conducting tests
Orange County, Jefferson County, Galveston County, Texas:
Litigated numerous homeowners' and property owners' hurricane cases against their insurance companies after Hurricanes Rita and Ike resulting in greatly increased settlements for our clients in every case we handled
1. Port Neches, Texas resident underwent spinal surgery after fall at local pharmacy caused by leaking beverage machine resulting in confidential settlement
2. Orange, Texas resident fell in wet parking lot after property owner had been on notice of drainage issues and other falls for over a year causing rotator cuff surgery; confidential settlement
3. Vidor, Texas resident suffered wrist injuries necessitating carpal tunnel surgery after falling at local car wash due to an unmarked step resulting in $75,000 verdict
4. Orange, Texas resident fell at local restaurant and required back surgery after stepping on an unmarked hazard near salad bar resulting in large confidential settlement.