2011: Year in Review for Arnold & Itkin
The year of 2011 was yet another monumental year for Arnold & Itkin, LLP. Over the years, we have been proud to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients and this was no different in 2011. In fact, we are proud to announce that we successfully recovered over $250 million in the last year alone; an enormous success and a true testament to our dedication to our clients, as well as our unwavering commitment to always providing the highest quality of legal representation.
Recovering this much comes from pairing aggressive out-of-court negotiation skills along with a “never say never” attitude. Our opponents know that we are not willing to settle for an unsatisfactory amount, that we will always be willing to prepare and take a case to the courthouse if that is what is required to obtain justice for our clients. Better yet, they know that when we say this, we actually mean it because we have done so before. We often will claim that it is this level of uncertainty that gives us the upper edge in negotiations.
Still, in some cases even this upper hand isn’t always enough to come to a fair out-of-court settlement. In some cases, we have to back up our word and fight for clients in trial – and we have proven that we are more than willing to do so. Take for example a case that we settled in 2011 involving Diamond Offshore. Our client had been working aboard the Ocean Yorktown at the time of the injury when he had been unexpectedly hoisted over twenty feet into the air and had his fall protection fail. This resulted in serious injuries such as a loss of consciousness, a crushed arm, three fractured vertebrae, three herniated discs, broken ribs and a closed head injury. We tried the case in the 157th District Court in Harris County, TX before Judge Wilson. The case lasted for a week and a half and resulted in the jury returning with a unanimous verdict of $4.9 million.
It was cases like this that made 2011 the success that it was and we were proud to represent clients such as this in their fight for justice. As always, we are proud to help clients get the compensation that they deserve – helping them to receive the medical treatment that is required. Such was the case as we continued to work to defend those who were aboard the Deepwater Horizon at the time of the April 20, 2010 explosion. In fact, we have been honored to represent over a fifth of the entire crew during this time.
We are compassionate to the tragedy that has victimized our clients and their families and we have worked tirelessly to provide them with supportive guidance while aggressively fighting to hold negligent companies liable. During this time, we are grateful to have gotten to know these crew members and have fought tooth and nail to help them get the maximum recovery that they deserve. We encourage you to watch some of the videos from clients involved in Deepwater Horizon case to learn more about their experience with our firm:
- Clients Talk About Their Experience with Arnold & Itkin
- Deepwater Horizon Clients Discuss Their Situations
- The Outcomes: How Pleased Were Our Clients?
While a colossal year, 2011 is just the beginning. We at Arnold & Itkin, LLP are prepared to face 2012 full force and look forward to the challenges that the new year will bring. If you have recently been injured or have suffered from the negligence of a third party, do not let another minute go by without receiving the high quality legal assistance from a maritime attorney that you deserve. Contact an offshore injury lawyer from our firm to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. We are here to help you. Call today.
This is why the employer, upon contracting the seaman’s services, will try to assess the seaman's medical condition and history and determine if he suffers from any illness or injury. However, a seaman who willfully conceals an illness or serious injury may not be eligible for benefits if the condition worsens. However, if a seaman was not asked about illnesses or injuries at the time of hiring, he may not be at fault for concealment. Courts are sometimes lenient in regards to a seaman’s failure to disclose illnesses or injuries, because the seaman may believe, in all honesty, that he is completely medically fit for the job, in spite of previous injuries or illnesses.
Other employees managed to uncover the maritime worker and he was administered CPR before being rushed to the Mobile infirmary, and ultimately pronounced dead.
The TWIC program was created due to the increased security threat to ports after 9/11. After the twin towers collapsed it became clear that our ports provided easy access to those who felt the need to harm Americans. The 
The crew included Colin Wright, a Galveston resident. The captain, Richard Philips, gave himself up as a hostage to the pirates in return for the safe release of his crew members. The ship safely returned to port and after a five day standoff, Phillips too was rescued when snipers killed three of the pirates and took one into custody.
The enhancements are expected to bring in more than $400 million in extra revenue for the port and could lead to the creation of more than 2,000 jobs. That is good news, not only for the port and its maritime workers, but also for the larger Galveston community.
Coast guard personnel worked many hours to recover the crane as emergency crew members averted an environmental disaster by preventing oil from spilling into the water. A larger 100-ton crane was used to help with emergency rescue efforts.
The company that owns one of the boats, Diversified Environmental Services, is located near the dock and was able to respond to the crisis immediately. The quick response helped prevent damage to marine life and the environment. No injuries were reported in the collision.
After the Newfoundland helicopter crash, investigators began to look into whether the stud fractured before the crash or was smashed during the accident. A broken stud can lead to loss of oil pressure, potentially resulting in a gearbox problem and eventually loss of control of the chopper. Investigators have now determined that the titanium studs are indeed prone to fracture. The studs in the Newfoundland accident are believed to have fractured during the flight. In January, Sikorsky issued an alert asking helicopter operators to replace the titanium studs with steel ones..jpg)
He suffered intense terror, unsure if rescue would arrive in time or if the rig would collapse on him. He suffered injuries to his wrist and back, but the emotional scars ran deeper. He has suffered from severe post traumatic disorder since the accident. In 2007, Campbell was awarded $952,966 including 200,000 in damages for PTSD..jpg)
Soon after Ike, the district used its own funds to make temporary repairs to the bridge; FEMA assured the district it would be reimbursed for money spent on repairs by mid March. That was before FEMA realized it may not be responsible for the funding after all.
Galveston County Navigation District No.1 paid Texas Gulf Company $1.5 million to repair the bridge, but in early February the project was shut down due to shortage of funds. A local contractor Lamson Nguyen has agreed to take up the task of filling potholes on the bridge free of cost. However, the fact is that the 50-year-old bridge is in need of permanent repairs. The district has no funds available to continue the work and has requested $6 million from the 