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undefinedMeet David Bright

Catastrophic Injury Attorney

David is Of Counsel to the law firm of Sico Hoelscher Harris LLP, and works primarily in the Corpus Christi, Texas office. He has experience in catastrophic personal injury, product liability, and automotive defect cases, heavy trucking cases, complex commercial cases, class actions, and mass torts.

For over 25 years, David has served as lead counsel on cases across the United States. In addition to trying cases in Texas, he has been admitted to practice pro hac vice in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Utah, and West Virginia. He has argued high-profile cases before the Texas Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and numerous other Courts of Appeal.

David has served as Chairman of the State Bar of Texas District 11-A Grievance Committee, as President of the Corpus Christi Bar Association, and for well over a decade has been an “AV” rated lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer-based rating available for professional ability and integrity. He is also an Affiliate with the Society of Automotive Engineers International.

David is also a frequent lecturer on topics involving personal injury and product liability litigation, complex litigation, and trial strategy.

Highlighted Representative Experience

  • Represent the family of a college student who was killed in a rollover caused by a tire failure in Texas. The suit has prompted the nationwide recall of 41,000 Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor tires. [Hall v. Goodyear]
  • Represented a man and his family as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he was rendered quadriplegic when his 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer rolled over, suffering severe roof crush in Alabama. [Lusk v. General Motors]
  • Served as lead counsel in commercial class action cases in Texas, Florida, and New York. [Gill v. Exxon Mobil Corp.; Flagler Automotive v. Exxon Mobil Corp.]
  • Represented a man and his family as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he was rendered paraplegic when a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado Pickup rolled over and suffered severe roof crush in West Virginia. [Smith v. General Motors and T.P. Chevrolet]
  • Represented a group of stockholders from across the United States and Canada in a Stock Fraud/Shareholder Oppression suit in Federal Court in Texas. [Wilk v. Kennedy Capital]
  • Represented the plaintiffs in a case involving two young men who were injured and killed due to the failure of the lights on the Queen Isabella Causeway in South Padre Island, Texas, the longest bridge in the state. The case went all the way to the Texas Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the Plaintiffs. [Brown v. Texas Department of Transportation, 80 S.W.3d 594 (Tex. 2002)]
  • Represented the families of Judges as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit in Arizona after they were severely injured and killed in the rollover of a 2002 Ford Excursion that suffered severe roof crush in Mexico. [Kiefer and Wein v. Ford]
  • Represented a woman as the Plaintiff in a product liability suit after she was rendered quadriplegic when a 2004 Ford Escape rolled over and suffered severe roof crush in Texas. [Zhu v. Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented the family of a woman as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she was killed when her 1996 Dodge Dakota 4X4 Pickup suddenly jumped from park to reverse, striking and killing her, in Texas. [Lopez v. DaimlerChrysler]
  • Represented the family of a young woman as the Plaintiffs in a “dram shop” suit against a bar after she was killed in Texas by an intoxicated driver who had been a patron of the bar earlier that night. [Flores v. A & R Entertainment]
  • Represented a man and his family as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he was rendered quadriplegic when his 2005 Ford F250 Quad Cab Pickup rolled over and suffered severe roof crush in Texas. [Rains v. Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented the family of an oilfield worker who was killed by a defective drilling rig that collapsed in Texas. [Fuentes v. Dana Corporation and Wilson-Wichita, Inc.]
  • Represented the family of a young woman who was killed when her Suzuki Sidekick / GEO Tracker rolled over in Texas in a product liability suit regarding the vehicle’s instability and propensity to roll over. [Davis v. Suzuki, et.al.]
  • Represented an oilfield worker and his family in an oilfield product liability suit after the drilling rig that he was working on in Texas suffered a blowout, explosion, and fire, severely burning him. [De Leon v. M-I, LLC, SWACO, et al]
  • Represented the family of a man who was killed when he was struck by an industrial sweeper truck in Lafayette, Louisiana. The evidence revealed that the driver of the sweeper truck had recently ingested marijuana prior to the incident. The admissibility of scientific evidence caused an appeal to the United States Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit, in which the Plaintiffs prevailed. [Bocanegra v. Vicmar Services, Inc., 320 F.3d 581 (5th Cir. 2003)]
  • Represented a severely brain-injured motorcyclist in a product liability suit in Florida involving his Griffin motorcycle helmet. [Symons v. Griffin Products, Inc., et.al.]
  • Represented a Plaintiff in a medical device product liability suit involving a defective hip implant in Texas. The case was ultimately tried to a $15,000,000.00 verdict. [Bonorden v. Sulzer Orthopedics]
  • Represented a commercial metal fabricator in a complex Deceptive Trade Practices Act and product liability suit arising from defective iron piping in a large industrial cooling unit in a Texas refinery. [O’Neal’s v. Tubes, Inc and ITP, Inc.]
  • Represented a man and his family as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he was rendered quadriplegic when his 2005 Ford F250 Quad Cab Pickup rolled over and suffered severe roof crush in Texas. [Rains v. Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented the family of a woman as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she was ejected and killed when the “energy management loop” in the seatbelt of her 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage deployed during a collision in Texas. [Cuellar v. Mitsubishi Motor Co.]
  • Represented a woman and her family as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she was rendered quadriplegic when her 2007 GMC Sierra Pickup rolled over and she was ejected from the vehicle in Texas. [Sanchez v. General Motors]
  • Represented a man as the Plaintiff in a product liability suit in Texas after he was rendered quadriplegic when his 2005 Ford Expedition rolled over and suffered severe roof crush. [Barcenas v. Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented the family of a long-haul truck driver as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he was killed when a 2003 Freightliner S/T Truck Tractor was involved in a collision and caught fire in Texas. [Pilat and Hartman v. Freightliner and J.B. Hunt]
  • Represented two young men in Texas in a product liability suit when a Deestone tire that they were working on blew up during inflation due to a mismatched tire and rim, severely injuring them. [Hoeffling and Styra v. Deestone]
  • Represented a woman and her husband as Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she suffered a severe brain injury in a fall from a horse while wearing a GPA equestrian helmet. [Bird v. Frantisi, USA]
  • Represented two clients of a Maryland law firm in a legal malpractice action arising out of a complex employment suit. [Saenz and Taylor v. Semmes, Bowen & Semmes, et.al.]
  • Represented the family of a woman as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she was killed when her GEO Tracker rolled over and she was ejected from the vehicle in Minnesota. [Rukavina v. General Motors]
  • Represented a young woman as the Plaintiff in a product liability suit after she was severely injured when her ­­­2000 Chevrolet Blazer rolled over and suffered severe roof crush in Nevada. [Liang v. GM]
  • Represented the family of a woman as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she was killed in the rollover of a 1997 Dodge Ram Pickup that suffered severe roof crush in Florida. [Carrillo v. DaimlerChrysler]
  • Represented the family of a woman as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she was killed in the rollover of a conversion van in Texas. [Perez v. Royal Vans of Texas]
  • Represented the family of a man who was killed in a motorcycle accident while wearing a “novelty” motorcycle helmet. [Tindell v. Riders, et.al.]
  • Represented the family of a woman as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she was killed when her tire suffered a tread separation and her 2001 Ford Ranger Pickup rolled over in Tarrant County, Texas. [Longoria v. Cooper Tire and Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented the family of a woman as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she was killed when her 2003 Ford Excursion rolled over and suffered severe roof crush in Texas. [Moczygemba v. Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented the family of a man as the Plaintiffs in a product liability “crashworthiness” suit after he was killed when a 2004 Dodge Durango in which he was traveling struck a traffic barrier in Indiana. [Allen v. DaimlerChrysler]
  • Represented a young man as the Plaintiff in a negligence and product liability suit in Federal Court after he was severely injured due to design defects on a drilling rig in Asia. [Lovell v. Offshore, Marathon, et. al.]
  • Represented the widow and family of a man as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he was killed when his 1999 Chevrolet K1500 Suburban rolled over and suffered severe roof crush in Indiana. [Garcia-Villareal v. General Motors]
  • Represented the family of a man who was killed in a motorcycle accident while wearing a “novelty” motorcycle helmet in the state of Mississippi. [Nicholson v. A & B Cycle, Inc.]
  • Represented the family of a woman as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after she was killed when a 2003 Chevrolet C1500 Suburban rolled over and caused her to be ejected from the vehicle in Texas. [Bou-Hamad v. General Motors]
  • Represented a family as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit in Tarrant County, Texas, after a family member was killed when a 2003 Chevrolet Crew Cab Pickup rolled over and suffered severe roof crush. [Alvarez v. General Motors]
  • Represented the families of people who were injured and killed when their 2003 Ford Expedition rolled over following a tire tread separation in Arizona. The product liability suit involved the tire, the vehicle, and the vehicle’s restraint system. [Long v. Ford Motor Co., Continental Tire, and TRW]
  • Represented the widow and family of a man as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he was killed when his Ford Explorer rolled over and suffered severe roof crush in California. [McCormick v. Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented a man who was severely injured in a heavy truck collision that occurred in Tarrant County, Texas. [Petta v. Price and MMI]
  • Represented the family of a young woman as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he was killed when her 1997 Ford Explorer suffered a tire tread separation causing it to go out of control in Florida. [Sohnrey v. Ford Motor Co. and Continental Tire]
  • Represented a woman as the Plaintiff in a product liability “crashworthiness” suit after she was severely injured when her 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac rolled over in Florida. [Linhares v. Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented a man and his family as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he suffered brain injuries in a motorcycle accident while wearing a Hong Jin Crown (HJC) motorcycle helmet. [Sultanzai v. HJC America, Inc.]
  • Represented a man and his family as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit in Texas after he was killed when his 2003 Ford F-150 Pickup rolled over and suffered severe roof crush in Mexico. [Garcia v. Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented the widow and family of a former police officer as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after he was killed in a motorcycle accident while wearing a Vega motorcycle helmet in Texas. [Navarro v. Soaring Helmet Corp.]
  • Represented female inmates whose civil rights were violated by jailers in Texas. [Doe v. Nueces County, Roe v. Nueces County]
  • Represented a woman and her family as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit regarding the door latch of a 2000 Ford Explorer XLT, after her arm was severed in a collision while she was a passenger in the vehicle. [Rosado v. Ford Motor Co.]
  • Represented a severely brain-injured motorcyclist in a product liability suit in Florida involving his Helmtech motorcycle helmet. [Hemphill v. Helmtech, Inc., et.al.]
  • Represented the families of various occupants of a 1991 Ford Explorer as the Plaintiffs in a product liability suit after they were injured and killed in a rollover that followed a tire tread separation. [Acuna v. Ford Motor Co. and Cooper Tire]

Case Citations

  • Navarro v. Soaring Helmet Corp., 429 Fed. Appx. 395 (5th Cir. 2011)
  • J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. v. Hartman, 307 S.W.3d 804 (Tex. App. – San Antonio 2010, no pet.)
  • Hilb v. Safeco, No. 13-09-00538-CV (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 2010)
  • Navarro v. Soaring Helmet Corp., 321 Fed. Appx. 340 (5th Cir. 2009)
  • Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Gill, 299 S.W.3d 124 (Tex. 2009)
  • Volvo Car Corp. v. Marroquin, No. 13-06-00070-CV (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi-Edinburg 2009)
  • U.S ex rel. Smart v. Christus Health, 626 F.Supp.2d 647 (S.D.Tex. 2009)
  • In Re Christus Spohn Health System Corp., 231 S.W.3d 475 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi-Edinburg 2007, no pet.)
  • Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Gill, 221 S.W.3d 841 (Tex App. – Corpus Christi-Edinburg 2007)
  • Christus Spohn Health System v. Slough, No. 13-07-435-CV (Tex. App – Corpus Christi 2007)
  • In Re Ford Motor Co., 211 S.W.3d 295 (Tex. 2006)
  • In Re AdvancePCS Health L.P., 172 S.W.3d 603 (Tex. 2005)
  • In Re Ford Motor Co., No. 05-0696 (Tex. 2005)
  • Campos v. Nueces County, 162 S.W.3d 778 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 2005, pet. denied)
  • In Re AdvancePCS Health, 165 S.W.3d 365 (Tex. App. – Edinburg 2004, no pet.)
  • Bocanegra v. Vicmar Services, Inc., 320 F.3d 581 (5th Cir. 2003)
  • In Re Bass, 113 S.W.3d 735 (Tex. 2003)
  • County of Cameron v. Brown, 80 S.W.3d 549 (Tex. 2002)
  • Brown v. Texas Department of Transportation, 80 S.W.3d 594 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 2000)
  • Morris v. Copeland, 944 S.W.2d 696 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 1997, no writ)
  • Smith v. Renz, 840 S.W.2d 702 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 1992, writ denied)
  • Dallas Morning News Co. v. Garcia, 822 S.W.2d 675 (Tex. App. – San Antonio 1991, no writ)
  • Nueces County Housing Assistance, Inc. v. M & M Resources Corp., 806 S.W.2d 948 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 1991, writ denied)
  • Quinn v. Memorial Medical Center, 764 S.W.2d 915 (Tex App – Corpus Christi 1989, no writ)

Education

  • St. Mary’s University School of Law, J.D., 1986 (Associate Editor, St. Mary’s Law Journal; National Order of Barristers; State Moot Court Team)
  • University of Texas, B.A., 1983 (Omicron Delta Kappa; Cactus Yearbook Goodfellow)
  • Admitted to practice: Texas, 1986; United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas; United States Court of Appeals for the Circuit; United States Courts of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; United States Court of International Trade, United States Supreme Court

Professional Recognition

“AV” rated lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell’s the highest peer-based rating available for professional ability and integrity

Activities and Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, Member
  • American Association for Justice, Member
  • Attorneys Information Exchange Group, Member
    • Chairman, Education Committee
    • Chairman, AIEG Motorcycle Helmet Subgroup
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Member
  • Texas Bar Association, Member
  • Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Member
  • State Bar of Texas District 11-A Grievance Committee
    • Chairman, 2000-2001
    • Member, 1997-2001
  • Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas, Member
  • Corpus Christi Bar Association
    • President, 1995-1996
    • Board of Directors, 1991-1997, 2008-2011
    • Chairman, Continuing Legal Education Committee, 1998 – Present
    • Course Director, Annual CCBA Advanced Civil Trial Law Seminar, 1998 – Present
  • Society of Automotive Engineers International, Affiliate

Publications and Presentations

  • Is Your Car Wreck a Product Liability Case? 2012
  • Trucking Litigation, 2012
  • Product Recalls, 2012
  • Dangerous Consumer Products, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Personal Injury Law Seminar, 2011
  • The Hazards of Used Tires, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2010
  • Hot Issues in Vehicular Product Liability Cases, American Association for Justice Annual Convention, New York, NY, 2011
  • Case Screening, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2011
  • Recognizing Automotive Product Liability Cases, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Personal Injury Law Seminar, 2010
  • Helmet Product Liability Litigation, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2010
  • Case Screening in Automotive Product Liability Cases, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2010
  • Bridgestone, Firestone, Steeltex: A Tradition of Tire Failure, Attorneys Information Exchange Group Tire Seminar, 2010
  • Hot Issues in Vehicular Product Liability Cases, American Association for Justice Annual Convention, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2010
  • Trucking Litigation, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2010
  • Daubert-Proofing Your Expert, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2010
  • Trucking Litigation, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Personal Injury Law Seminar, 2009
  • Emerging Theories in Product Liability Litigation, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2009
  • Litigating and Negotiating With Foreign Auto Manufacturers, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2009
  • The 12(b)(6): Deposing the Person With Knowledge, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2009
  • Avoiding Grievances, Corpus Christi Bar Association Family Law Seminar, 2009
  • Practical Aspects of Working With Experts: Expert Reports, Expert Depositions, Trial Testimony, and Robinson/Daubert Challenges, State Bar of Texas Advanced Personal Injury Course, 2008
  • Foreign Manufacturers and Dynamic Roof Strength Testing, Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2007
  • Recognizing Product Liability Cases, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Personal Injury Law Seminar, 2008
  • Ethics and the Grievance Process, Corpus Christi Bar Association, 2008
  • A Primer on Defective Helmet Cases, Section Connection – American Association for Justice Product Liability Section Publication, 2007
  • Taking the Offense – How To Try or Settle Your Case in One Year, Corpus Christi Bar Association, 2007
  • Recognizing and Preserving Evidence in Automotive Product Liability Cases, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Personal Injury Law Seminar, 2007
  • Dynamic Roof Testing – What Are Manufacturers Doing? Attorneys Information Exchange Group, 2007
  • Practical Aspects of Working With Experts, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Civil Trial Law, 2006
  • Helmet Product Liability Litigation, Attorney’s Information Exchange Group, 2005
  • Medical Device Litigation, Mass Torts Made Simple, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2004
  • Working With Expert Witnesses, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Civil Trial Law, 2004
  • Practical Aspects of Working With Experts, Hazard Information Foundation, Sierra Vista, New Mexico, 2004
  • Ethics and the Grievance Process, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Civil Trial Law Seminar, 2003
  • Practice Tips From the Experts – A Survey of Trial Masters, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Civil Trial Law Seminar, 2001
  • Practice Tips From the Experts-A Survey of Trial Masters, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Civil Trial Law Seminar, 2000
  • Demonstrative Evidence, Corpus Christi Bar Association Advanced Civil Trial Seminar, 1999
  • Supreme Court Developments in Deceptive Trade Practices Act Cases, Corpus Christi Bar Association Deceptive Trade Practices Seminar, 1998
  • Mediation, Texas Conference of Court Appointed Special Advocates, 1998
  • Insurance Bad Faith and Consumer Protection, Corpus Christi Claims Association, 1998
  • Responsibilities of the Attorney Ad Litem, Corpus Christi Young Lawyers Association Seminar, 1997
  • Police Uses of Deadly Force, Corpus Christi Lawyer Magazine, 1997
  • Tort Reform, NCLSA Seminar, 1995
  • Predicates for Introduction of Evidence, “Hot Tips for Hot Times,” Texas Trial Lawyers Association Seminar, South Padre Island, Texas, 1995
  • Introducing Evidence, “Hot Tips for Hot Times,” Texas Trial Lawyers Association Seminar, South Padre Island, Texas, 1994

Former Client Testimonials

  • “After a lapse of nearly four years, I discovered that my former business partners had intentionally mislead me and convinced me to sell out of a business for a few hundred thousand dollars, which they sold for over $16 million four months later. After a pr”

    John Jalufka

  • “I don't know how you do the job you do, but I'm so thankful for people like you.”

    Laura Rund

  • “First of all, we don't know how to thank SHHB. You guys did a terrific job for us. Sometimes we think that our boys sent you guys to us for help. We appreciate everything you did for us and you guys will be a part of our lives forever.”

    The Chuyito Family

  • “After my accident, my life was turned upside down. I had to place a tremendous amount of trust in SHHB during a vulnerable time in my life - and I am so glad I did. You delivered justice against great odds. You also brought about much-needed closure for me”

    Rose Munoz

  • “SIco Hoelscher Harris should be commended for recognizing the opportunity for a winning case even though (another attorney) turned it down and you had a short time frame to work within. Furthermore, I appreciated your professional manner and you”

    Wm. E. (Bill) Martin