Our Recent Victories

Arnold & Itkin, LLP is proud to announce that over $250 million was recovered on behalf of clients in 2011. This number was achieved through the firm pursuing both settlements and verdicts – choosing whichever legal action would be best suited for each individual case. Attorneys Jason Itkin and Kurt Arnold are proud of what has been accomplished in 2011 and look forward to the upcoming year.

Kurt and Jason are pleased to announce that Arnold & Itkin, LLP recovered more than $100,000,000 in individual verdicts and settlements for their clients in 2009 alone. These great results were achieved one case at a time. Many cases were settled but several were tried in court to combine for these great results on behalf of their clients.

Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin of Arnold & Itkin LLP were able to successfully secure a $38.2 million jury verdict in a lawsuit filed against Honsador Lumbor Corporation, one of the largest lumber suppliers in Hawaii. The jury ruled in the favor of Arnold & Itkin LLP's client, awarding one of the largest verdicts the firm has secured thus far.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $11,906,014.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented a seaman who suffered a head injury on the Hercules 15 inland barge. Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin and Mike Pierce were able to resolve the Jones Act claim by settling for $14 million two days before the trial was to commence.

The Hercules 15 was located in Lake Washington, Louisiana at the time of the incident, which involved a pipe that was jarred loose and hit the plaintiff (Arnold & Itkin's client) in the head. Hercules employees tack welded the three-foot pipe to the derrick but forgot to remove it before drilling operations started.

The case was filed in Galveston County Court in March, 2008 and was set for trial on February 2, 2009.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $6,024,236.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented a Louisiana family in a case involving the wrongful death of a mother and the tragic injury of a five-year-old girl. Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin filed suit in Beaumont, Texas and after a three-week trial successfully secured a $10.9 million jury verdict.

The defendants in this case subsequently filed an appeal. The case ultimately resulted in a settlement of $2,000,000.00. Attorneys' fees and expenses totaled to $1,148,310.80.

Lead attorney Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP won a $9.6 million jury verdict in a Harris County, Texas case involving a worker who suffered a catastrophic injury that resulted in the loss of most of the sight in one of his eyes. The jury deliberated for only a day and a half before finding the defendant liable for designing a faulty piece of equipment that led to the incident.

This case is currently on appeal.

Arnold & Itkin LLP was able to reach a successful settlement of more than $9 million for multiple clients who brought a lawsuit against a large oil company. Attorney Kurt Arnold handled the case, successfully proving that the oil company had been negligent in conducting operations and securing a fair settlement on behalf of his clients.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $3,668,864.

The team at Arnold & Itkin LLP successfully represented an oilfield worker who suffered brain damage and memory loss after falling through the grating on an offshore platform in Louisiana. The case settled for $7.2 million after the jury selection began. The client was able to receive more than $4 million, and $2.5 million of the net recovery was invested in a structured fund to ensure his needs would be met well into the future.

This case involved a number of complex legal issues as a result of the nature of the injuries as well as the number of defendants involved and the sheer volume of medical records. In spite of this, Arnold & Itkin LLP was still able to settle to the client's benefit.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $3,193,002.

Attorney Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP successfully settled a wrongful death case in Harris County, Texas for a widow and her family against a Southeast Texas Plant. Attorney Arnold was able to secure a settlement of $5.9 million two weeks prior to arbitration and for more than 12 times the special damages in the case.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $2,460,000.67.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented the daughter of a worker who lost his life as the result of a head injury sustained at the Van Dyke's seafood processing facility in Port Arthur, Texas. Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek were able to successfully obtain a $4.8 million verdict in the case, which was tried in Jefferson County, Texas. Van Dyke personnel allowed the injured worker to lie in a break room for seven hours after the incident, which left him bleeding from the mouth and complaining of a severe headache. The jury verdict was unanimous and was reached after only four hours of deliberation.

Arnold & Itkin LLP obtained a $4.4 million settlement on behalf of a family in southwest Louisiana against oil companies that had contaminated their property. Not only did lead attorney Kurt Arnold secure a settlement prior to the trial, but he was able to ensure the defendants were liable for cleanup costs in order to fully compensate the family for the damages suffered.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $1,949,876.

After longshoreman Abelino Ponce lost his life in a tragic accident at the Port of Houston, the family sought the legal services of Arnold & Itkin LLP. The accident occurred when Mr. Ponce was helping to transport steel pipe from a ship to the dock. A wire struck him in the side and threw him to his death.

The defendants offered to settle the case for $250,000 on the eve of the October 2006 trial, but the plaintiffs rejected this offer at Arnold & Itkin LLP's urging. The firm was able to secure a $3.7 million dollar verdict for the family after a three-day trial.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $1,549,931.

Attorney's Kurt Arnold & Noah Wexler obtained a $3,500,000.00 settlement on behalf of two supply vessel captains who were violently assaulted while working off the coast of Nigeria. Due to inadequate security measures, engine malfunctions and other negligent acts and omissions of their employers their vessel was prone to boarding and attack by armed assailants. The area in which they were required to operate was known to be at high risk for boarding, attacks and kidnappings yet their employer, and the company to which they were contracted, failed to take adequate measures to insure their security and safety. As a result of the attacks one captain suffered facial fractures requiring surgery and the other suffered arm, back and neck injuries which will likely require surgery. Both individuals now suffer from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident. Arnold & Itkin was proud to assist these two seamen to insure they received the medical treatment they required and the compensation they deserved.

Attorneys' fees and expenses totaled $1,529,735.70

Arnold & Itkin LLP settled a case for $3.35 million, for an offshore worker who injured his neck and back while working on equipment on an offshore installation in the Gulf of Mexico. Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek settled the case the day before the trial was to begin.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $1,439,910.00.

Attorneys Cory Itkin and Jason Itkin from the legal team at Arnold & Itkin, LLP recently took on a case involving an offshore well tester for the Axxis Justice inland drilling barge. The plaintiff, Jude Lewis, is initially a resident of Lafayetta, Louisiana, however, went to work on the barge in Barataria Bay.

Due to the nature of his work, he was often required to work with specialized tools. A separate barge was sent to ship these tools; after it had been docked next to the drilling rig, Axxis Drilling set up a ladder between the two vessels to transfer the supplies. Mr. Lewis was crossing the ladder to get these supplies when he fell and suffered from substantial back injuries. These injuries were so extreme that he eventually underwent a one level back surgery.

It was the argument of the drilling company that they had no fault in the injury – they claimed that all of the blame rested with the plaintiff and that the claims of injury were illegitimate. There was no offer to settle; the firm took on the case and recovered a $2,795,620 verdict.

The case pended in Galveston County, TX. The Honorable Barbara Roberts was the presiding judge.

Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP recovered a $3 million settlement for an injured seaman who suffered a hand injury while working in the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. Attorney Arnold represented the worker, who was from Leesville, Louisiana, filing the case in Texas where the employer was based. He sought compensation for future medical expenses, past and future loss of earnings and pain and suffering. Arnold successfully negotiated the $3 million settlement after months of negotiating.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $1,281,508.

Arnold & Itkin LLP obtained a $2.5 million settlement for a client who suffered neck and lower back injuries while working on a drilling barge. The plaintiff suffered these injuries by colliding with a padeye in the mudroom that should have been removed. His injuries required surgery.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $1,092,589.

Attorney Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP represented a Louisiana seaman who was injured off the coast. While working for his employer, the seaman was injured in inland waters in Louisiana. He suffered severe leg injuries as the result of an unsafe working environment. Attorney Arnold filed the case in Galveston County under special venue rules that allow all injuries that occur in inland waters in the Gulf of Mexico to be filed in Galveston County. Within 12 months of the original injury, Attorney Arnold was able to prepare the case for trial and obtain a settlement of $2,375,000.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $1,029,831.

Arnold & Itkin LLP was able to obtain a $2.25 million settlement for a seaman who suffered a severe back injury. The seaman was injured because he was trying to avoid a medicine ball that a crane operator had caused to swing toward him. He fell from a machine to the deck below.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $948,869.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented a client who suffered a serious neck injury off the coast of Galveston, Texas. The firm was able to secure a $2 million settlement. The plaintiff sustained this injury when his captain crashed the vessel into an unlit caisson. The plaintiff was unable to return to his line of work, and the injury required surgical intervention.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $1,058,066.

Arnold & Itkin LLP secured over $2 million on behalf of two riggers who were seriously injured while working off the coast of Louisiana. Though the companies initially tried to blame the injured workers for what occurred, Arnold & Itkin LLP was able to prove that the incident resulted from the negligent actions of a production operator who worked for one of the defendants. The production operator did not completely "bleed off" pressure that had accumulated in a pipeline. When the two workers were replacing the valve on this pipeline, the valve skyrocketed into the air and knocked one worker to the ground while striking the other worker in the head. One worker suffered severe lower back injuries and the other suffered serious neck injuries and was also diagnosed with Post-Concussion Syndrome. In representing the injured workers, Arnold & Itkin LLP was able to prove that the safety consultant who was hired to supervise the workers did not do his job properly. The case was settled after the trial had already begun and was pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Galveston Division. The Honorable Judge Vanessa Gilmore presided.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $1,123,698.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented an offshore worker who suffered serious facial injuries after the lid of a metal canister exploded into his face. He broke several facial bones in the incident. The firm was able to secure a $2 million settlement for the worker, and the net recovery after fees and expenses was $1,073,840.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $926,160.

Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a settlement for $1.9 million for a seaman who suffered second degree burns as the result of a flash fire on a barge. Attorney Kurt Arnold represented the sixty-year-old Florida seaman in a case that was filed in Harris County. Attorney Arnold was able to settle the case for $1.9 million a few weeks before trial, after nearly ten depositions.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $919,766.

Arnold & Itkin LLP was able to obtain a $1.85 million settlement for a client who suffered severe foot and ankle injuries. The client sustained these injuries when he was forced to jump overboard in order to avoid other injuries.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $788,313.

Arnold & Itkin LLP recovered a $1.75 million settlement for a worker who was seriously injured in an offshore crane accident. Attorneys Jason Itkin and Kurt Arnold represented the employee of Wood Group in the case, which involved an incident where a crane operator caused the boom crane he was operating to jerk. This caused the crane to strike Arnold & Itkin LLP's client in the face without warning, knocking him from the railing upon which he was standing. The plaintiff suffered a herniated disc in his back as a result of the fall, which required lumbar fusion surgery. He also suffered from post-concussion symptoms as a result of the blow to his head. Arnold & Itkin LLP litigated the case in federal court for the Southern District of Texas and was able to settle two weeks prior to trial.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $760,063.

Arnold & Itkin LLP recovered a settlement of $1.75 million for a client who suffered serious back injuries as the result of a lifeboat malfunction. The client suffered herniated discs in his back and neck when the lifeboat malfunctioned. Prior to the trial, the defendants made a final offer that would have left the client with a net recovery of only $480,000. Arnold & Itkin LLP took the case to trial in July of 2006. Midway through the trial, the defendants met the plaintiff's settlement demand, leaving the client with a net recovery of more than $1 million.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $734,083.

Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a $1.72 million jury verdict on behalf of a client who was seriously injured in a crane accident at the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas. Attorneys Cory Itkin and Michael Pierce represented Ernesto Tamez, who was injured in the accident on January 18, 2005.

A negligent Maxim Crane Works crane operator swung a heavy oil burner into Mr. Tamez, causing serious injuries to his neck, back and shoulder when he was pinned between the burner and a nearby handrail. Maxim Crane Works initially made no settlement offer prior to the trial, arguing that the accident was Mr. Tamez's fault. The company claimed that 60-year-old Tamez could have sustained some of the injuries as a result of "wear and tear". An issue that added complexity to the case was that Mr. Tamez and his wife do not speak English and therefore had to testify with the help of a translator.

The jury ruled in favor of Mr. Tamez after the week-long trial. They found that Maxim Crane Works was 100% at fault for the accident and awarded Mr. Tamez and his wife $1.72 million. Through the four years that this case lasted, Arnold & Itkin LLP stood by Mr. Tamez and helped him get the medical attention and financial compensation he needed.

The case was pending in Galveston County, Texas. The Honorable Judge David E. Garner presided.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $736,778.

Arnold & Itkin LLP recovered $1.72 million for contractors who suffered serious injuries from exposure to hydrogen sulfide while working off the Gulf of Mexico in 2004. The firm was able to confidentially resolve the case in June of 2005, with a net recovery of $1,011,119.44 that was shared among the claimants.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $708,881.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented the widow and minor children of a vessel captain, securing a $1.6 million settlement on their behalf. The claim was filed against the owner of the barge as part of a limitation of liability action. The captain was killed when a spud barge struck an underwater high-pressure gas line, which ruptured and caught fire, causing an explosion.

The case was pending in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $762,473.

Representing a captain who suffered a serious back injury as the result of a fall, Arnold & Itkin LLP was able to secure a $1.6 million settlement.

Arnold & Itkin LLP's client fell through an open hatch that another captain had left open. The defense argued that the hatch was an "open and obvious" danger, but Arnold & Itkin LLP was able to show the weakness of this argument by hiring an expert who evaluated the case and prepared an animated demonstration of how the hatch would have looked from the plaintiff's point of view. The animation demonstrated that the defendant could have prevented the incident in the first place if the hatch had simply been barricaded. The case settled within ten days of trial for $1.6 million.

The case was pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. The Honorable Judge John D. Rainey presided.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $698,285.

Arnold & Itkin LLP recovered a settlement of $1.45 million for an injured seaman who fell out of the ship's trash dumpster. The dumpster had been suspended in the air when the client fell, breaking his hip and wrist. He also developed Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome and was unable to return to work.

The defendant, a shipping company, originally argued that Arnold & Itkin LLP's client had already recovered from his injuries but had not returned to work because he was battling alcoholism. Attorneys Jason Itkin, Kurt Arnold and Cory Itkin were able to settle the case days before the trial was set to begin, proving that this argument was wrong. Arnold & Itkin LLP helped the injured seaman seek the medical treatment he needed as well as recover the financial compensation he deserved.

The case was pending in federal court in Baltimore, Maryland.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $678,275.

Arnold & Itkin LLP was able to recover $1.078 million for a tugboat captain who was seriously injured during a crew change operation. The captain suffered from anoxic brain injury as the result of oxygen deprivation and also suffered from severe post traumatic stress disorder. The incident occurred when the client, a relief captain employed by the defendant in the case, was asked to perform a crew change operation in a jon boat. The operation was to take place across a half-mile wide stretch of the Mississippi River that was heavy in ship traffic. The off-going captain chose to organize the crew change using the jon boat in spite of the fact that a large crewboat was available for use. Shortly after the on-going crew entered the jon boat, they were swamped and nearly drowned by the wake of a large tanker.

The Arnold & Itkin LLP attorneys were able to win a verdict of $1.078 million after a four-day bench trial, totaling nearly $1.2 million with interest.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $488,065.

Arnold & Itkin LLP won a jury verdict of more than $1.2 million for an injured seaman who suffered serious neck and back injuries. Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin represented a seaman who was working alone on a ladder, when he fell and injured his back and neck. He required a one level fusion of his cervical spine as a result of his injuries. The jury founds some contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff but awarded him more than $1.2 million on March 1, 2007. The defendant made no offer to settle before or during trial.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $502,228.

Arnold & Itkin LLP obtained a settlement of $985,000 for a worker who was injured while being transported by a boat between platforms in rough seas. The case was set to go to trial by jury in Houston federal court but settled days before it was to begin.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $461,650.

Arnold & Itkin, LLP maritime lawyers Cory Itkin and Jason Itkin are pleased to announce a $940,000 settlement they obtained on behalf of an offshore worker from Galveston,Texas. The case was filed in Galveston County, Texas. Arnold & Itkin's client suffered a serious neck injury when a basket transfer from a jack up rig to a supply boat went awry. The man eventually needed a three-level neck fusion to treat his injuries. The defendants argued that the accident never happened. Instead, they claimed that the worker was only suing because he was fired for failing a drug test a few days after the incident. They also alleged that the client had a long standing methamphetamine addiction and pointed to a woman who testified that the worker told her that he was going to make up a lawsuit to get some money. Arnold & Itkin stood by its client, beat back these charges, and helped the man get the compensation he deserved.

Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a $925,000 settlement for a maritime worker whose calf was crushed while he was working on a vessel. The seaman was handling lines on the vessel when the boat began to move, putting tension on one of the lines and crushing his calf. Due to the extent of his injuries, he required reconstructive surgery. The case settled days before the trial was set to begin.

This Jones Act claim was pending in Galveston County, Texas.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $488,796.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented an injured maritime worker in an offshore injury claim that resulted in a recovery of $900,000. The worker sustained a serious lower back injury as the result of a fall from a personnel basket. A crane operator decided to make the transfer in conditions where visibility was limited due to heavy fog. He failed to properly line up the boom, which caused the basket to swing in midair. The worker was dropped approximately 6 to 8 feet and landed on his back. The resulting injuries required surgery. The case was resolved within one year of filing.

The case was pending in the southern District of Texas, Houston Division. The Honorable Judge Gray Miller presided.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $364,342.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented a worker who suffered a serious back injury when he fell from his bunk while sleeping. The firm secured a settlement of $900,000 for the worker. The incident occurred when the injured worker's crew boat was making platform turns in the Gulf of Mexico. A co-worker negligently operated the boat while the injured worker was sleeping, causing him to fall from his bunk and seriously injure his back. The net distribution in the case was $561,840.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $338,160.

Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a favorable result and $850,000 in a complex case involving an injured seaman who was seriously injured in a slip and fall accident on a dive boat off the shore of Fourchan, Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. The seaman suffered neck injuries and a concussion when he slipped and fell on steps that did not have proper non-skid tape. His neck injury resulted in cervical fusion surgery.

The defendants in the case tried arguing that the plaintiff was not entitled to any damages because he was taking prescription drugs at the time of the incident. They also argued that the plaintiff's injuries did not occur on the boat but were the result of a car accident that occurred two weeks after the accident on the dive boat. The alleged that the plaintiff suffered these injuries when his vehicle rolled over in the accident and that he had been drinking at the time. Standing firmly by their client, attorneys Jason Itkin, Kurt Arnold and Cory Itkin successfully disproved these allegations and were able to secure a favorable result.

The case was pending in Texas state court in Houston, Texas (Harris County).

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $392,432.

Attorney Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a settlement for $850,000 on behalf of a Galveston longshoreman who sustained facial and neck injuries as the result of a brake chamber malfunction. The longshoreman sustained lacerations to his face and trauma to a disc in his neck while he was inspecting a brake chamber that malfunctioned during the inspection. A few weeks prior to trial, the case was resolved for $850,000.

The case was pending in Houston Federal Court. The Honorable Judge Ewing Werlein presided.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $479,034.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented a League City, Texas seaman who suffered serious injury to his back when he slipped on hydraulic fluid that was leaking from a crane. Attorneys Cory Itkin and Kurt Arnold were able to secure an $850,000 settlement for the seaman, who was the mate on a jack up rig. Though the crane had been leaking fluid for days, the employer failed to fix the problem and the seaman was injured. He required back surgery as a result of his injuries and was unable to return to offshore work.

The case was pending in Texas state court in Galveston County.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $487,425.

Arnold & Itkin LLP secured a settlement of $825,000 for a Lufkin, Texas roustabout who sustained a serious neck injury while working on a drilling barge. The injury occurred when he was struck from behind by an improperly secured spinner hawk. The injuries were so severe as to require surgery and to render him unable to return to offshore work.

The case was pending in Texas state court in Galveston County.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $430,639.

Mike Pierce of Arnold & Itkin LLP successfully negotiated a $770,000 settlement for an employee of Danos & Curole who was injured while working in the Gulf of Mexico aboard a Chevron platform. The employee seriously injured his shoulder as the result of a fall in a stairway. In investigating the incident, it was discovered that the stairway lacked sufficient slip protection. The handrail of the stairway also did not meet ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards. The shoulder injury required three separate surgeries to correct the damage. Three weeks before the trial was set to begin in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, it was settled for $770,000.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $369,586.

Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP represented an injured seaman in a Jones Act case that settled a few weeks prior to trial for $750,000. The seaman was injured during a flaring operation. He sustained mostly second degree burns to 40% of his body as the result of a malfunction of the knock out pot on the flare barge where he was working. The case was filed in Harris County and, after fifteen depositions, settled a few weeks before the trial was set to begin.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $409,079.

Arnold & Itkin LLP won a $750,000 verdict on behalf of a gas lift specialist who was seriously injured off the shore of Africa. The 64-year-old seaman was getting on a Tidewater vessel while existing a Chevron platform when the seas swelled, causing him to fly into the air and his leg to then dangle over the jacket. The vessel came down again and crushed his leg. Due to the extent of his injuries, he required multiple surgeries and was unable to return to work offshore. He was, however, able to return to work onshore. Chevron had delayed in evacuating personnel until the weather and sea conditions were hazardous. A portion of the $750,000 verdict was placed in a structured settlement with a net recovery to the client of approximately $414,000.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $336,000.

Arnold & Itkin LLP recovered a $750,000 settlement on behalf of a production operator who was injured while aiding in cargo operations. The production operator was attaching slings to a large container box that was being loaded onto the platform when he fell and severely injured his back and neck. Neck surgery was required to address his injuries. The attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP took action against the owners of the vessel and platform because the weather was too rough to safely conduct cargo operations and the cargo was not pre-slung. The case settled for $750,000 two days before the trial was set to begin.

The case was pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. The Honorable Judge Nancy Atlas presided.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $289,964.

Arnold & Itkin LLP won $723,014 on behalf of a deckhand who was injured as a result of exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas. The seaman was working as a deckhand, performing gauging operations on SeaRiver's S/R Mediterranean (previously known as the Exxon Valdez) when he was exposed to hydrogen sulfide gas while aboard the tanker. Because SeaRiver refused to use hermetically sealed gauges, which it uses in its Pacific Fleet, the young seaman was exposed while the vessel was in Oman, an Arab state in southwest Asia. SeaRiver also failed to warn the seaman that the cargo picked up in Oman had high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide.

SeaRiver contested liability and damages and initially offered to settle the case for less than the cost of litigation alone. Arnold & Itkin LLP refused the settlement offer and took the case to trial, where the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed on all grounds.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $393,497.

Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin, LLP represented a pipeline worker who suffered severe injuries while working in the Bay of Campeche off the coast of Mexico. His injuries were caused when a valve failed. After the incident, he continued to work for eighteen months but ultimately left that line of work partially due to his injuries. The case was set for a trial by jury in Harris County but ended up settling confidentially three days prior to the trial for $700,000.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $336,472.

Arnold & Itkin LLP successfully received a settlement of $700,000 for a client who was injured while working as a production operator in St. Charles Parish. The Houma, Louisiana maritime worker was near a separator vessel on a production barge when the vessel overpressurized and exploded. He was diagnosed with severe PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and was barred from returning to work in the oil and gas industry on his doctors' orders.

The defendant argued not only that the production operator was to blame for the incident but alleged that he was faking his injuries. The case settled for $700,000 three days prior to trial and was filed in Galveston County, Texas.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $317,735.

Attorney Mike Pierce of Arnold & Itkin LLP successfully secured a settlement of $650,000 for a crab fisherman who suffered back injuries as a result of a faulty hydraulic system. A crab pot struck the fisherman when the hydraulic system on his vessel malfunctioned, and he suffered injuries to his lower back. These did not require surgery.

The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $327,744.

Arnold & Itkin LLP represented an injured seaman in a claim resulting from an accident that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. The firm was able to secure a $650,000 settlement for the client, who suffered neck and shoulder injuries as a result of a defective pulley. He was working on the pulley when it became jammed and jerked his neck and shoulder. To make matters worse, the seaman was sitting in a defective chair when the incident occurred, causing him to tip over backwards in rough seas. The Arnold & Itkin LLP attorneys were able to conduct a thorough investigation to reveal that company supervisors had failed to fix the defective pulley in spite of problems it had caused in the past. The case was settled a week prior to trial for $650,000.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $271,829.

Attorneys Paul Skrabanek and Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin LLP were able to obtain a $600,000 settlement in a case involving a serious neck injury a deckhand sustained as the result of a fall. The client tripped and fell over a large hose that was lying in the middle of the deck and injured his neck in the fall. After only one deposition, the case was settled three months prior to the trial.

Attorney's fees and expenses totaled $335,983.