Attorney Kurt Arnold
Known as one of the fiercest trial lawyers practicing, Kurt Arnold has secured more than $10 billion in verdicts and settlements since founding Arnold & Itkin in 2004. Results are part of what Kurt does. He’s recovered more than a billion dollars for clients multiple years in a row. Kurt also holds numerous records across the United States for record-setting verdicts and settlements. His track record has validated his reputation as one of the country’s most accomplished, skilled advocates—both in and out of the courtroom.
Kurt knows clients deserve the best results, and he fights to make them happen, no matter what. His history of cases proves he’s always ready for a challenge. Kurt is the person behind record-setting verdicts. He secured $117 million in the largest single-plaintiff personal injury verdict in Louisiana history, $42 million in the largest commercial verdict in Hawaii history, and $44 million for the largest single-amputee verdict in U.S. history.
His settlement history includes individual recoveries of $92.7 million, $87 million, $78 million, and $72 million. These results (and others) have shattered records across the country, including in Texas and Louisiana for workplace accident settlements for $367.7 million and $171 million. Kurt gets these results by never backing down. When the other side sees he is on a case, they know they’ll have to be fair during negotiations or they’ll have to face Kurt during a trial.
The records he currently holds include:
- The largest settlement for a burn injury at a U.S. worksite
- The largest settlement for a man killed offshore in U.S. history
- The largest settlement for families injured in a plant explosion in U.S. history
- The largest settlement for an undocumented worker in U.S. history
- The largest jury verdict for a single amputee in U.S. history
- The largest settlement for a worker injured in an oilfield in Texas
- The largest jury verdicts in multiple states nationwide
The key to Kurt’s success is his compassion for his clients. He cares deeply about everyone he represents, so he refuses to let at-fault parties off the hook for harming his clients. One of the most rewarding aspects of his job, to him, is beating companies that refuse to own up to what they did. Kurt’s relentless pursuit of justice and victory for his clients has led to record-setting 8- and 9-figure jury verdicts, more than 50 verdicts and settlements worth $10 million or more, and more than 500 results worth $1 million or more. By making the case personal, Kurt learns a client's needs and always fights for the results they truly need.
Kurt has been recognized by the National Law Journal for many of his record-setting jury verdicts, which has named his firm to the nationwide top 50 Elite Trial Lawyer list. He has also been named one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America and one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers by Lawdragon. In 2019, Kurt was invited to join the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group of the top 100 plaintiff lawyers in the United States. Additionally, Kurt has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for his industry-defining work in Admiralty and Maritime Law and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs.
Kurt is particularly regarded for the results he’s earned for offshore workers from some of the world’s largest companies.
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon exploded and killed 11 workers, injuring dozens of others. Of all the crew members on the rig that night, 27 of them put their trust in Kurt—more workers than any other lawyer in the country. He won unprecedented recoveries for them, making sure they would have whatever they needed for the rest of their lives.
As an experienced maritime attorney, Kurt is deeply familiar with the complexities of maritime litigation. As a result, he has been a leading advocate for workers in every maritime accident from the Deepwater Horizon explosion to the sinking of the El Faro. His work on behalf of the injured and grieving in the maritime industry has resulted in some of the country's highest settlements.
Kurt co-founded Arnold & Itkin at 25 years old with his close friend and colleague, Jason Itkin. The success that he has achieved since then is unprecedented. No one Kurt’s age has won any verdicts or settlements as large as his; he’s represented the injured and their families in the largest workplace accidents, plant explosions, industrial disasters, and land rig accidents in the U.S., obtaining verdicts and settlements worth more than $100,000,000.
In a recent case, Kurt secured numerous eight-figure verdicts against an energy company for a plant explosion in Louisiana that injured dozens. When the defendants refused to offer a fair settlement to his clients, Kurt tried two trials back-to-back and obtained multiple massive verdicts in a row. The defendants eventually paid Kurt’s clients settlements that were 10 times the size of their initial offers.
In virtually every arena in injury law, Kurt has achieved massive results. His success has made Kurt’s reputation as a leader in catastrophic injury litigation. With several settlements in excess of $100,000,000 and a track record that includes victories in nearly every area of injury law, hundreds of lawyers worldwide have enlisted Kurt to try their cases.
His firm and his team’s commitment to justice and advocacy makes Kurt proud to be one of Arnold & Itkin’s cofounders.
At 19 years old, Kurt graduated from the University of Texas with High Honors. At 22, he graduated in the top 5 percent of his class from the University of Texas Law School with Honors.
Kurt is licensed to practice law in Texas, Pennsylvania, before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and before the U.S. Supreme Court.
He and his wife Tara, a fellow attorney, live in Houston with their son Jaxon and daughter Isla. They are members of St. Paul’s Methodist Church, and they support numerous charities as founders of the Arnold & Itkin Foundation.
Education
- University of Texas, B.A. in Government with High Honors
- University of Texas Law School, J.D. with Honors
Admissions
- United States Supreme Court
-
United States District Court,
Southern District of Texas -
United States District Court,
Eastern District of Texas -
United States District Court,
Western District of Texas -
United States District Court,
Northern District of Texas - Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Second Circuit Court of Appeals
- Third Circuit Court of Appeals
- State Bar of Texas
- State Bar of Pennsylvania
Awards
- Member of the Inner Circle of Advocates
- Best Lawyers® for Admiralty and Maritime Law (2016-2021)
- Best Lawyers® for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs (2018-2021)
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2017-2020)
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers (2019-2020)
- The National Law Journal’s Elite Trial Lawyer Top 50 List
- Texas Super Lawyers® List - One of the Youngest Lawyers in Texas History to Receive This Honor (2013-2018)
- Texas Super Lawyers® Rising Stars℠ List (2005-2006, 2009-2013)
- Top 100: Texas Super Lawyers (2017)
- Top 100: Houston Super Lawyers (2015 - 2018)
- Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers
- Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers
- Member of the Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum®
- Top 40 Under 40 Award by the Houston Business Journal
- Top Lawyers for the People by H Texas Magazine
- Founding Member of the Nation's Top 100 Attorneys by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel