Attorney Paul Skrabanek

Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin and Paul Skrabanek obtained a unanimous $4,900,000.00 dollar jury verdict after a trial that lasted a week and a half in front of Judge Wilson in the 157th District Court for Harris County, Texas. The client was a driller working for Diamond Offshore off the coast of Brazil who was 30 years old at the time of his accident which occurred aboard the Ocean Yorktown. Plaintiff sustained serious injuries to his left arm and back when he was unexpectedly hoisted over 20 feet in the air at which time his fall protection failed. Arnold & Itkin was proud to assist this young man to ensure he received the medical treatment he required along with the compensation and justice he deserved.

Arnold and Itkin attorneys, Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek obtained a 4.8 million dollar verdict on behalf of the daughter of the deceased. The plaintiff's father died after he suffered a head injury while at the Van Dyke’s seafood processing facility in Port Arthur, Texas. Van Dyke’s personnel allowed the deceased to lie in a break room for seven hours after realizing he was bleeding from the mouth and complaining of severe headaches. The case was tried in Jefferson County, Texas before the Honorable Judge Donald Floyd. The jury returned a unanimous verdict after only four hours of deliberation.

Arnold & Itkin attorneys, Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek, settled a case on behalf of an injured offshore worker for $3,350,000. The plaintiff injured his neck and back while working on equipment on an offshore installation in the Gulf of Mexico. The case settled the day before trial was to proceed.

A senior official on the Thunderhorse offshore rig was severely injured, eventually losing the ability to walk, during the course of pumping quick seal negligently left in the rig's tank by a previous supervisor. Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek settled the case for $3.3 million.

Paul Skrabanek and Kurt Arnold obtained a jury verdict on behalf of an injured refinery worker after a weeklong trial in the amount of $2,400,000. Paul took three of the seven witnesses at trial and got a defense expert struck on voir dire during trial. The Plaintiff suffered second and third degree burns to 20% of his body. His claims were against an engineering company that designed the equipment that caused his injuries. Defendant's final offer was $135,000.

A junior engineer on the tanker S/R Wilmington was electrocuted and killed while working on a circuit breaker. The engineer’s family members sought the legal help of attorneys at Arnold & Itkin. The experienced maritime attorneys at Atnold & Itkin secured a $1.8 million settlement for the 24 year old victim's family.

The Plaintiff owned an apartment complex wherein part of the complex burned. The claims were that the insurance carrier underpaid the damages. Paul Skrabanek took all of the depositions on the case and argued all hearings. The case settled the day before it was to proceed in Harris County.

The Plaintiff was a Jones Act seaman that was struck in the face with a piece of offshore equipment. Paul Skrabanek took 15 depositions on the case and argued a number of hearings before the case settled.

Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek settled a claim on behalf of a commercial client that had suffered damages to his property. The insurance company refused to pay and otherwise denied his claim. Paul Skrabanek filed suit in Houston, Texas and was able to show the Defendant through discovery that it had miscalculated the damages and that as a result the insurance company owed a substantial sum. The defendant ultimately paid Arnold & Itkin LLP to settle the case for $1,500,000 rather than go to trial.

The plaintiff was a business client who needed to retrieve commercial real estate assets. Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin and Paul Skrabanek were able to retrieve a $1.2 million settlement on his behalf.

The Plaintiff was a financial advisor that was not paid a contractual fee and therefore filed breach of contract and tort actions against the Defendants. Paul took the key defense witness's deposition in the case, which was the owner of the Defendant company.

Arnold & Itkin attorneys Kurt Arnold & Paul Skrabanek obtained a $1,000,000 settlement on behalf of a seaman who witnessed a friend lose his life while on a vessel. The plaintiff suffered from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Luckily, the plaintiff suffered no physical injuries. The case was pending in Harris County, Texas.

The Plaintiff was an offshore worker who was shocked by a piece of equipment and fell into a hole. Paul Skrabanek took all six depositions in the case and undertook all briefing.

Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek recovered $900,000 in an offshore case on behalf of an injured maritime worker who was dropped from a personnel basket and sustained a lower back injury, which required surgery. Specifically, the worker was dropped 6 to 8 feet onto his back as a result of a crane operator not lining up the boom, which caused the basket to swing in midair. The incident was compounded by the crane operator deciding to make the transfer during heavy fog and limited visibility. The case was pending before the Honorable Gray Miller in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. The case was resolved within a year of filing.

The plaintiff was on a personnel basket, going from a boat to a platform in foggy conditions, when the crane operator swung the basket into a handrail on the boat, knocking the plaintiff out of the basket. The client fell 10 feet to the deck of the boat, landing chest first and sustaining serious injuries. The maritime attorneys at Arnold & Itkin negotiated a $900,000 settlement on his behalf.

Industrial injury lawyers Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek from Arnold & Itkin LLP and Brad Wyly from the Wyly Law Firm recovered $875,000 for a worker who suffered catastrophic burns to his face, neck, head and body requiring numerous surgical procedures and skin grafts. Suit arose because a fuel delivery company and oil company delivered diesel fuel to the worker's jobsite that was contaminated with gasoline rendering the diesel fuel extremely volatile. The worker went to check the diesel level in a generator and the diesel ignited engulfing the worker in flames. The suit was pending in the 125th District Court in Harris County, Texas before judge Kyle Carter.

The plaintiff was an electrician working on a barge docked in Port Arthur, Texas. He was working on a light fixture while standing on a ladder when he received a shock. As a result, he fell almost 20 feet, injuring his head, neck, back and leg. The defendant argued the accident was the electrician's fault for not wearing proper fall protection and that his injuries were exaggerated. The attorneys at Arnold & Itkin stood by their client and were able to settle his case for $800,000.

The plaintiff was a laborer who suffered burns to his arm and neck when an arc fire started where he was conducting work. Paul Skrabanek took all of the depositions in the case and did all of the briefing.

Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek settled a claim on behalf of an injured seaman residing in New Orleans. He was injured while working as an engineer. The case was filed in Houston, Texas and was successfully resolved within twelve months for $750,000.

The Plaintiff was traveling in Orange, Texas when he was pinned up against a median by a tractor trailer that recklessly changed lanes. The trucking company moved for summary judgment on gross negligence and Paul Skrabanek was able to argue successfully to keep that cause of action and punitive damages in play.

The victim was travelling on BELTWAY 8 when a Chevy 2500 going about 60 mph hit her. Her brand new Avalon was totaled and she suffered injuries from her lower cervical to her upper thoracic. Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Mike Pierce and Paul Skrabanek won a $639,000 jury verdict. The case was appealed and later settled.

The client was injured by a blow to the head which left him with post-concussive symptoms. Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek secured a $610,000 settlement on his behalf.

Arnold & Itkin LLP maritime lawyers Paul Skrabanek and Kurt Arnold obtained $600,000 on an un-operated neck case. Specifically, the plaintiff was working as a deckhand when he tripped and fell over a large hose lying in the middle of the deck. The plaintiff injured his neck as a result of the fall. The case was settled three months in advance of the trial setting and after only one deposition.

Arnold & Itkin represented a client whose injuries while working offshore led to a pin placement and bone graft. Kurt Arnold, Cory Itkin and Paul Skrabanek negotiated a $600,000 settlement on his behalf.

The plaintiff was injured at work on a terminal 18 cargo vessel. He was working in a room with no lighting, leading to a ten foot fall, and a fractured skull and broken fingers. The maritime attorneys at Arnold & Itkin negotiated a $550,000 settlement on his behalf.

Paul Skrabanek and Mike Pierce obtained a jury verdict on behalf of an injured motorist after a weeklong trial in the amount of $537,584. Paul took six of the ten witnesses at trial and spent three full days arguing pretrial motions. The trial arose out of a rear end collision on the north side of Houston. The Plaintiff was an executive assistant and suffered a neck injury that required surgery.

Arnold & Itkin represented a floorhand on the Hercules Offshore rig who was injured after picking up drill pipe. Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Paul Skrabanek secured a $500,000 settlement on his behalf.

The Plaintiff was a Jones Act seaman who sustained injury to his right eye after being sprayed with a caustic chemical. The case settled the weekend before trial after Paul Skrabanek won almost all rulings at the pretrial hearing. He also took five depositions on the case.

The Plaintiff was a yacht chef who had her pinky finger pinched off in a line handling accident. Paul Skrabanek took six depositions on the case and was able to obtain a $415,000 settlement.

The Plaintiff was a Jones Act seaman that was injured in a lifting accident. The case settled prior to the Plaintiff undergoing surgery and after Paul Skrabanek took four depositions.

Paul Skrabanek and Kurt Arnold obtained a jury verdict on behalf of an injured seaman against Diamond Offshore Drilling for $305,829.81. Notably, the jury found that Diamond acted arbitrarily and capriciously in failing to pay its maintenance and cure obligations, which was a predicate finding to punitive damages.

Paul Skrabanek solo tried the case and obtained a verdict on behalf of his client in a breach of oral contract suit. The Court also awarded attorneys' fees in favor of the plaintiff. The case was tried before the Honorable Judge Sylvia Matthews in the 281st Judicial District in Harris County, Texas.