Our Attorneys
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INSTILLING CHANGE, IMPROVING LIVES
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Frank L. Branson CONCENTRATION: |
Justice Served
For 34 years, Branson has had an unwavering commitment to clients who were seriously injured by dangerous products, medical negligence, major trucking accidents, and industrial catastrophes. During that time, he has earned the reputation as one of America’s best trial lawyers by achieving noteworthy recoveries from judges and juries. Some of those include: a malpractice verdict in Bowie County where a child was blinded by doctor/hospital negligence, a court award in a railroad crossing case in Harrison County (settled while on appeal), a court award for an industrial accident involving an amputation in Van Zandt County, and a jury verdict for a paraplegic from a truck accident in Smith County. In another highly publicized trial, at the request of the District Attorney in Tarrant County Branson served as a special prosecutor and assisted in sending a dentist to the penitentiary for 5 years for manslaughter of a patient overdosed by anesthesia (a first for a health care professional in Texas).
Branson has had a number of high-profile cases, some of which were record recoveries at the time. The Enterprise accident at the State Fair remains a record for amusement park injuries in Dallas. Another involved a young attorney who was brain-damaged in an auto accident in Dallas. The settlement for an insurance adjustor electrocuted on top of a building at a new car lot in Weatherford was a proud moment for Branson, as was the case involving a man brain-damaged by a truck wreck in Amarillo. Two cases involving automobile design defects in the Mid Cities and a medical malpractice case in which a Wichita Falls surgeon rendered a 49 year old a quadriplegic during a spinal fusion also fit into this category.**
When asked about these cases, Branson said that each case
not only justified the recovery level, but that no one would trade places with
any one of these victims in return for the settlement, once they know the facts.
** Specific results depend on the facts of each case.
Secrets of Success
There is no substitute for preparation. Branson is known
not only for his tenacious preparation, but also for his imagination in the
courtroom. His firm has a nationwide reputation for its use of advanced, state-of-the-art
trial techniques such as digital video, computer animation, medical art and
individualized anatomical models.
Branson and his team of lawyers, registered nurses, investigators and graphics
professionals work closely together on each case to insure they are able to
communicate the most effective message to the audience during settlement proceedings
or trial. "What we are trying to do is allow the jury to walk in our client’s
moccasins a short distance in order to understand the nature and severity of
their injuries. We have never hesitated to use our resources to go the extra
mile for our clients. To achieve a full measure of justice, we believe that
a jury needs well-organized, accurate information presented in a user-friendly
manner." That’s been, and continues to be, a major trial goal. Branson’s
success in this arena is demonstrated by the fact that the vast majority of
the firm’s cases come from referrals from other lawyers.
Furthermore, it is not uncommon for the firm to represent prominent doctors, lawyers, business executives, politicians, and other professionals in cases where they or their families have had major problems.
Instilling Change. Improving Lives.
"It's nice to see people we have helped over the last three decades enjoy a quality of life they wouldn't’t have had without the settlement or verdict in their case. The debilitating nature of their injuries would have robbed them of that chance. Because of what happened, their lives had become hell on earth. We’we've been able to make the fires a little cooler for them."
Designations and Memberships
Branson has been recognized each year for nearly two decades as one of the best lawyers in America in his field based on a vote of thousands of lawyers nationwide. Those lawyers recognized are included in a publication called Best Lawyers in America. He has been president of the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Dallas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Branson was honored by being selected as the recipient of the 2001 War Horse Award by the Southern Trial Lawyers Association for his contributions to trial lawyers. He was also named by Forbes as one of the most successful trial lawyers in the country.
Branson serves on the Executive Board of SMU Dedman School of Law and speaks and publishes, on a regular basis, for lawyers around the country about the practice of trial law.
Education
Southern Methodist University, LL.M., 1974
Southern Methodist University, J.D., 1969
Texas Christian University, B.A., 1967
Law Practice
- The Law Offices of Frank Branson, P.C., Dallas, Texas
Head of a nine-attorney law firm specializing in personal injury, professional
negligence (medical, legal, engineering), products liability, business litigation
and commercial torts law
- Admitted to Texas bar, 1969; also admitted to practice before U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth and Eighth Circuits; U.S. District Courts, Northern and Eastern District of Texas; and Eastern District of Arkansas, Western Division
Professional Affiliations
- American Board of Trial Advocates: Advocate Member,
Past President, Dallas Chapter
- American Inn of Court: Master
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America: Former Member of Board of
Governors, Stalwart, President's Club Charter Member, former Dean of Medical
Malpractice College, and Lifetime Fellow of Roscoe-Pound Foundation
- Attorneys' Information Exchange Group: Founding
Director
- College of the State Bar of Texas: Life Fellow
- Dallas Trial Lawyers of America: Past President
- Dallas Bar Foundation: Life Fellow
- Dallas Bar Association: Member
- International Society of Barristers: Fellow
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers: Member
- Institution for Injury Reduction: Director
- Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law: Executive
Board Member
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association: Past President
- State Bar of Texas: Prosecutor for Grievance Committee
(on multiple occasions); Administration of Rules of Evidence
Committee Chairman (1990)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association: Director Emeritus
- Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee: Former
Member
- Texas Bar Foundation: Member
Publications
Books
- "Demonstrative and Documentary Evidence in Contemporary Tort Litigation," ATLA's
Litigating Tort Cases, Vol. 4, Chapter 42, ATLA Press (2003)
- "Trucking Accident Litigation," Handling Motor Vehicle Accidents, 2nd
Edition, Vol. 3, Chapter 13, West Group (2001)
- "Products Experts - Plaintiff's View," Products Liability Practice
Guide, Matthew Bender (1988)
- "Settlement Techniques," Damages in Tort Actions, Matthew
Bender (1988)
Other Publications
- Commentary for "Demonstrative Evidence," ATLA Trial Magazine
(Sept. 1995)
- "Voir Dire Examination," 4 Products Liability Law Journal 109
(Feb. 1993)
- "Generating The Best From Your Expert Witness," Trial Practice
Manual (Spring 1992)
- "Commentary for "Successful Voir Dire," ATLA Trial Magazine
(Feb. 1992)
- Co-Editor of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association Forum (1991-1994)
- Commentary for "Visual Evidence," ATLA Trial Magazine (Aug.
1990)
- "Innovative Techniques for Trial" (co-author), ATLA Trial Magazine
(Feb. 1988)
- Co-Author, "Documenting the Demand," Litigation, Vol. 14,
No. 2 (1988)
- "Demonstrative Evidence," McGraw-Hill Company (1986)
- "Innovative Techniques in Final Argument," Southern Methodist University
Institute on International Finance, Innovative Final Arguments, Matthew
Bender (1985)
- "New and Old Approaches to the Expert Witness From Deposition to Cross-Examination" Southern
Methodist University Products Liability Institute, Chapter of The Expert
Witness, Matthew Bender (1984)
- "Traumatic Neurosis," Texas Trial Lawyers Forum (July 1984)
- "Drug Related Injuries," Texas Trial Lawyers Forum (1975)
Law Review
- Annual Survey of Texas Law, Southwestern Law
Journal (1986-1993)
Video
- Contributor to "Trying a Medical Malpractice Case: Adversing the
Defendant," ATLA/Matthew Bender Videotape Series (1982)
- Contributor to "Creative Demonstrative Evidence," ATLA Press Video
(1993)
Audio
- Contributor to "Million Dollar Apartment" Audiotape Series (4
arguments)
Recognitions and Honors
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America as one of
the best lawyers in his field in each edition since 1987
- Named by Forbes as one of the most successful trial lawyers in the
country (1989)
- National Law Journal article, "The Wizard of Show-and-tell," (November
1994)
- Associated Press article, "Lawyer Gives Victims Best Shot with
'Video Hardball,'" (April-May 1995)
- Recipient of the Southern Trial Lawyers Association War Horse Award (2001)
and Professor W. McKinley Smiley, Jr. Lighthouse Award (2005)
- Honored with "Legend Seminar" by Texas Trial Lawyers Association
(2002)
- Named by D Magazine on multiple occasions, including 2005 and 2007, as one
of "The Best Lawyers in Dallas"
- Named by Texas Monthly as one of the top 100 Texas Super Lawyers in
2003-2006
- Named by Texas Monthly as one of the top 10 Texas Super Lawyers in
2007
- Recipient of the Mel Award by the Melvin Belli Society (2007)
Civic, Charitable, Political
- Member, Highland Park Presbyterian Church
- Prior affiliations include
Personal
Married to Debbie Dudley Branson, an attorney. The Bransons
have two children, Jennifer and Buck, who are both graduates of Southern Methodist
University Law School.
The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, P.C. does not offer any guarantee of case results. Past success in litigation does not guarantee success in any new or future lawsuit. Our web site describes some of the cases that the attorneys of Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, P.C. have worked on in the past. Our description of those cases is summary in nature. You should be aware that the results obtained in each of the cases we have worked on was dependent on the particular facts of each case. The results of other cases will differ based on the different facts involved.
Copyright© 2005 The Law Firm of Frank L. Branson. All Rights Reserved.
