BEAUMONT – Two verdicts won by Provost Umphrey Law Firm earned recognition among the Top Texas Verdicts & Settlements for 2018 based on a comprehensive review by VerdictSearch.
A $6.34 million Harris County negligence verdict against a suburban Houston apartment complex in connection with the 2014 murder of a 15-year-old girl was the largest premises liability verdict in Texas last year. Testimony showed Corriann Cervantes was tortured and murdered, her body left in an abandoned apartment in a Clear Lake area complex.
Two young men were convicted of capital murder for their roles in the attack. Provost Umphrey attorneys Joe Fisher, Guy Fisher and Taylor Thompson as well as Andrew Bender of The Bender Law Firm prevailed in the civil suit filed by the girl’s family against the apartment complex owners.
Also last year, jurors in Denton County returned a $4.8 million verdict against ladder manufacturer Werner Co., after finding the company liable for the faulty design and marketing of an aluminum ladder that collapsed and permanently injured John DeVallee’s hand.
The verdict is the fourth-largest product liability award and ranked 33 overall on the Top Verdicts list. Provost Umphrey’s Joe Fisher and Edward Fisher were on the trial team with attorney Brian Zimmerman of Zimmerman, Axelrad, Meyer, Stern & Wise, P.C. and David L. Cook of Harris Cook LLP.
“We are dedicated to seeking justice for hard-working men and women, and we are honored to be recognized for the hard work we do in preparing cases and trying lawsuits,” said Joe Fisher, managing partner of Provost Umphrey.
The Texas Top Verdicts annual list is developed from research compiled by VerdictSearch, a recognized leader in U.S. verdict information. The full list will be published in the July 2019 edition of Texas Lawyer.