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Last Minute Trials
The Trial Lab has gained a reputation for successfully trying cases for other law firms and attorneys. The Trial Lab is the rare law firm that can competently provide effective trial representation at the eleventh hour. The Trial Lab is available for all trial work. We work with other law firms in a variety of ways. We are available to associate in, partner with, or accept a referral from another firm that has found itself at inevitable crossroads, often one they did not believe would come. Led by seasoned trial attorneys, we can step in as last-minute trial counsel (or step in alongside existing counsel as co-counsel). We have the ability to quickly evaluate a matter and leverage existing pretrial preparations, guided by our extensive and diverse jury trial experience. When we are brought in to try a case in the weeks before announcing ready for trial, we respect and honor pre-existing attorney-client relationships. We understand a client has a special relationship with their initial retained attorney and we constantly respect that trusted relationship, as well as try to build our own relationship with the client in the short time we have to prepare to tell their story to a jury. To that end, we have unique and compelling presentation skills. Our role as trial attorney is an empathetic and compelling storyteller, tasked with weaving our clients’ experience into a compelling narrative of law and fact.
Guided by unique methodologies developed at “The Ranch”, we are always telling our story through each and every witness we present or examine on the stand. Opening statements and closing arguments are crafted to appeal to the heart and minds of the jurors, the fact-finders who have the ultimate power to make right the wrongs suffered by our clients. Further, we delve into the motivation of adverse witnesses to understand why they might hold the adverse position they testify to, and then we tell our story to the jury through a contemplative lens intended to not only educate the jurors about the truth but also help them understand why they should help one of their own citizens who found themselves in a position they never imagined they would ever be in. When a law firm or a case is at the eleventh-hour crossroads, we can step in and develop the core story and ultimately educate and empower the jury to help provide justice for our clients.
Aviation Litigation and Transactions
The Trial Lab is a law and litigation practice for the general and commercial aviation industry. The Trial Lab represents pilots, aircraft owners, Part 135 operators, flight schools, and other aviation stakeholders in a variety of matters, from simple to complex business transactions, as well as matters involving complex litigation. Our aviation litigation practice includes aviation-related trial work, including personal injury and aviation products liability litigation. Additionally, The Trial Lab represents pilots and aviation businesses in federal and state enforcement and civil monetary penalty (CMP) disputes. Our aviation transactional practice includes aviation business formation, Part 135 consultation, negotiating aircraft and aviation facility leases, aircraft purchases, and aircraft operating agreements.
As seasoned trial lawyers, The Trial Lab also assists aviation businesses to minimize future potential litigation risks. Aviation is a unique industry that requires an attorney who understands aviation-specific concerns.In addition to being a practicing lawyer, Gabe Houston is also an FAA-licensed commercial fixed-wing and helicopter pilot, an active general aviation pilot, an FAA Part 135 on-demand air carrier owner/operator, and an AOPA Legal Services Plan (LSP) Panel Attorney.
Accident Injuries
We do not get to pick the moment of our misfortune. Suddenly, without warning, our daily activities can go from routine to immensely disruptive and life-altering. We understand how frustrating and aggravating it can be to suddenly be injured through no fault of your own. We have been there. Blameless people who have suffered injuries caused by the negligence of another often realize devastating effects on their financial, legal, and emotional health. The injured person may face the loss of a lifetime of wages and benefits as well as the sense of purpose and wholeness that come with meaningful work. They often face enormous medical bills and may need to undertake expensive retraining to learn new employment skills that fit within their new limitations, if they are lucky enough to not have severe physical or cognitive impairments that prevent them from maintaining any employment at all. Injured people often face anxiety and depression as a result of coping with their new situation.
Transportation Accidents (Car/Truck/Bus/Motorcycle/Bicycle)
There is no bigger “David vs. Goliath” than an injured driver fighting a large, well-funded insurance company. We understand what you are likely going through when you have recently been involved in a collision while traveling. Common immediate concerns range from “how did this happen?” to “what do I do with my car?”. Eventually, there will be phone calls from insurance companies, and you need an experienced friend on your side to help during this difficult time.
Catastrophic Injury
A catastrophic injury is one where the consequence of the injury permanently inhibits the quality of life of the injured person and often prevents that individual from pursuing or performing any gainful employment. Catastrophic injuries are any injuries that have serious, long-term effects on the victim. After suffering a catastrophic injury, the victims’ life is turned upside down. Often the victim has a new reality involving painful movements and the inability to perform basic activities of daily living. The victim sometimes can no longer maintain a job that allows them to support themselves or their family. For many, their employment defines them as a person and the imposition of catastrophic injuries also eliminates a defining source of personal pride and purpose.
A catastrophic injury or illness usually occurs suddenly and without warning and can leave a person suffering from permanent disabilities for the rest of his/her life. Catastrophic injuries can often put serious stress on the victim’s family because they may need constant supervision or assistance for the rest of their lives, as well as a lifetime of rehabilitation and medical bills. A catastrophically injured person often has limitations on travel, exercise, participation in favorite hobbies or activities, and the inability to even care for themselves on a day-to-day basis in the way that a typical healthy person would. They may also suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that create emotional anguish in addition to the physical pain and suffering that inevitably come with a devastating and disabling injury.
Brain Injury / TBI
Brain injuries range in severity and typically result in devastating, long-term effects for the innocent victim. A brain injury can include anything from a minor concussion to a catastrophic open skull fracture. Common symptoms following a brain injury can be vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, blurred vision, memory loss, fear, anxiety, depression, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
Burn Injury
Burn injuries can be caused by fire, electrical wires or outlets, or by unsafe handling of chemicals. Burn injuries can range in severity. Some burn injuries can be as mild as a first degree, which is skin discoloration or blistering or be as serious as a fourth degree, which indicates injury to deeper tissues, such as muscle, tendons, or bone. An inappropriately treated burn can result in injuries worse than the burn itself and introduce more complications for the injured victim.
Medical Injury
Medical errors are the third-leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. A “medical error” is defined as a death, injury, or exacerbation of an underlying condition caused by inadequately skilled staff, an error in judgment or care, a system defect, or a preventable adverse effect. A recent Johns Hopkins study claims more than 250,000 people in the U.S. die every year from medical errors. Other reports claim the numbers to be as high as 440,000. Adding to the misleading of the public is that physicians, funeral directors, coroners, and medical examiners rarely note on death certificates the human errors and system failures involved. Doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, and other healthcare workers are dedicated, caring people, but they are human. And human beings make mistakes. Patients need to be vigilant, ask questions, seek second opinions, do their own research, and consider bringing along an advocate to help process the information. And when a healthcare provider makes a mistake, seek legal assistance.
Dog Bites
The household pet may be our best friends, but dogs are still animals and animals can bite. Dog bites account for more than 90% of all animal bites. The majority of dog bites are received from a dog the recipient was familiar with, often a family pet or a friend’s dog. It is estimated that dogs bite nearly 5 million Americans every year, half of them children between ages 5 and 9. Injuries may involve structures deep beneath the skin including muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels. Dog bites can go much further than broken bones or scarring. The emotional trauma of a dog bite can last a lifetime. Often the initial “bite” is not as bad as the subsequent infection that comes as a result of the bite. Infections, including tetanus and rabies, need to be considered.
Information should immediately be obtained from the dog’s owner about the dog’s rabies immunization status. If information from the owner is not possible, seek information from hospitals, animal control centers, or law enforcement personnel. Rabies therapy, if necessary, must begin as soon as possible. The victim’s tetanus status also needs to be current.
Defective Products
Companies that place defective goods or services in the hands of consumers create an environment for injury and can be sued under state laws for manufacturing and design defects. Typical defective product claims are those involving defective design or defective manufacturing. In some cases the design of the product was expected to be safe but turned out to be unsafe, causing injury or death. In other cases, the design is safe, but a failure during the manufacturing process introduced a dangerous condition. Marketing defects also apply to product liability lawsuits as well as lawsuits due to a manufacturer’s failure to warn the public of a known defective product. Liability for a dangerous product can range from the designing engineer, the assembler, the manufacturer, or the retail store owner. Defective product liability lawsuits are typically based on strict liability and negligence.
Unfortunately for the unsuspecting consumer and general population, often the manufacturer was aware of the dangerous defect long before they informed the public of the dangers. There are usually volumes of internal documentation; a paper trail that documents the manufacturer’s investigation, inspirations, and proposed schemes designed to hide the truth from eventual disclosure. The paper trail is the personal diary of the manufacturer, recording the product manufacturer’s priorities and knowledge before they thought anyone was looking. Trials involving defective products are typically long, complex, and extremely expensive, pitting helpless innocent (often financially destitute) injured victims against well-financed, potentially politically powerful corporations. The Trial Lab has a long history of holding bad-acting corporations to account for putting profits over people, often obtaining substantial punitive damages verdicts against bad-acting corporations in an effort to deter and punish defective product manufacturers for their abhorrent conduct.
Pedestrian Accidents
Tens of thousands of pedestrians suffer injuries each year when they are hit by a car or truck. Children between the ages of 5 and 9 are at the greatest risk of being hit by a vehicle. Children are smaller and less visible and they can be unpredictable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) reports that each year nearly 5,000 pedestrians die in motor vehicle-related accidents, Accidents involving pedestrians often occur when the pedestrian attempts to cross highways, streets, backroads, or parking lots. Not all pedestrian accidents involve an impact by an automobile. Thousands of non-vehicular pedestrian accidents also occur as a result of poor maintenance on a street, bike path, sidewalk, or parking lot as well as injuries caused by construction or other debris on walkways. Often with these types of injuries, there are multiple people or parties responsible for the injuries.
Dangerous Properties or Premises (Slip/Trip and Fall)
Premises liability refers to the responsibility of property owners to provide reasonably safe conditions for visitors, workers, and residents. California property owners can be held financially accountable for accidents and injuries that occur on their premises. Anyone who has suffered an injury on someone else’s property must consider their legal rights and options as financial compensation may be available for their injuries.
Wrongful Death
The true case is not representing the decedent, but helping rebuild the lives devastated by the loss of their loved one. No amount of money can ever replace a lost family member. We take your hand to help you through the difficult experience of obtaining justice for your loss and financial compensation for the loss of the support previously provided by the lost loved one.
Qui Tam Whistleblower
Private Citizens can bring private lawsuits against a person or company that is believed to have defrauded the government. Qui tam suits are initially filed under seal on behalf of the government. If effect, the private citizen is suing on behalf of the government for fraud against the government, often because the government is unaware of being defrauded. Qui Tam suits most often involve fraud in the exercise of military defense contracts or fraudulent healthcare (Medicare or VA) billing or supplies. In a Qui Tam action, the plaintiff will be entitled to a percentage of the recovery of the penalty as a reward for exposing the wrongdoing and recovering funds for the government. Sometimes the federal or state government will intervene and become a party to the suit after learning of the fraud, in order to actively participate in protecting its interest and in case negotiations and litigation.
Civil Rico
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 (“RICO”, 18 U.S.C.A. §§ 1961 et seq.) created a civil law cause of action (§ 1964) for violations of its provisions. Federal District Courts are empowered to award triple monetary awards, and attorney fees, and to issue equitable orders preventing and restraining violations, including the divestiture of interest in any enterprise, restrictions on future activities or investments of any person, and the dissolution or reorganization of the enterprise. To state a claim, a plaintiff must allege (1) that the defendant received money from a pattern of racketeering activity, (2) invested that money in an enterprise, (3) the enterprise affected interstate commerce, and (4) an injury resulting from the investment of racketeering income distinct from an injury caused by the predicate acts themselves.
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