Tort Claims

At the law firm of Caddell & Chapman, we have more than two decades of experience taking on cases investigating the cause and origin of catastrophic fires. Our lawyers are dedicated to handling significant cases against major businesses with plenty of resources on their side. We have an impressive record of success in these challenging cases.

Getting to the Bottom of the Cause of Fires

When we take a case, we are prepared to take swift action. We work with experts to investigate what caused the fire, where it started, and who was responsible. We have had a number of notable cases representing fire victims, including the following:

California Wine Country Wildfires

On October 25, 2017, Caddell & Chapman filed a class action lawsuit in Napa County Superior Court on behalf of victims of the Atlas Peak fire. The wildfires that burned across the California Wine Country in October 2017 have become one of the worst disasters in California history. 43 people are dead; more than 150,000 acres have been burned; and more than 14,700 homes, 728 businesses, and 3,600 vehicles were damaged or destroyed. Over half a dozen fires burned in eight counties—including the Atlas and Nuns fires in Napa County, the Tubbs fire in Sonoma County, the Redwood fire in Mendocino County, the Cherokee fire in Butte County, and the Lobo Fire in Nevada County.

Caddell & Chapman is consulting with cause and origin fire experts to continue to investigate what caused this disaster and what remedies may be available to persons affected by the wildfires. If you were injured in the fires or have relevant information, please contact Amy Tabor at 713-751-0400 for a free consultation or send us an email using our contact form. If we take your case, you will not be responsible for any fees or expenses unless we make a recovery on your behalf.

Representation of Children Injured in Branch Davidian Complex Fire

Caddell & Chapman has demonstrated its willingness to work for the underdog through its representation of families in litigation against the government. Caddell & Chapman represented children who were injured in the catastrophic fire, when more than 70 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms raided the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Caddell & Chapman worked with experts and made extensive use of infrared technology to investigate what caused the fire. No matter how high profile the case or how large the defendant, Caddell & Chapman is committed to pursuing cases aggressively.

Products Liability Suit Against International Electronics Corporation

Caddell & Chapman successfully represented the family of a young girl in a products liability lawsuit against an international electronics corporation. The lawsuit alleged that an electronic appliance failed and caused a house fire. The fire had started in a children’s bedroom, and a young girl sleeping on a top bunk received terrible second and third degree burn injuries to roughly one-third of her body. The product manufacturer agreed that the fire began in the child’s room but claimed that the fire could not have started as the family claimed. Hiring a team of experts and investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the case, Caddell & Chapman conducted a thorough investigation of the fire and the appliance at issue. The law firm’s work included two full-scale burn tests to prove its theory of how the fire started. Such testing required re-creation of the children’s room with precise measurements and the purchase of comparable furniture appliances, clothing, opening (door and window), and other materials. With nine cameras monitoring the room, the firm and its experts started the fire at the appliance under scrutiny and watched as the fire spread through the room as had been observed by witnesses. Soon after completion of these tests, the electronics manufacturer settled for more than it had paid on any prior personal injury claim. (Note: Under terms of the settlement, the firm cannot identify or allude to the name of the electronics company.)

The variety of possible causes of a fire or an explosion is surprisingly wide. Our law firm has seen cases involving burns caused by defective car ignition switches, baby wipe warmers, stereos, and other electrical home appliances. Cases can also involve fires and explosions due to defective gas tanks in cars and pickup trucks.

No matter what caused the fire, we will seek full compensation for our clients.

Aggressive, Creative Representation

From our office in Houston, Texas, our law firm is available to work on a nationwide basis in significant fire cause and origin cases.

Contact us today to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer.

Have you or a member of your family suffered a serious injury in a catastrophic accident such as a car or truck accident, an industrial accident, or a fire or explosion? Do you believe that the accident was caused by someone’s negligence or a defective product?

At the law firm of Caddell & Chapman, we have more than two decades of experience taking on companies that act negligently, insurance companies, and manufacturers of defective products. Our lawyers are dedicated to handling significant cases against major businesses with plenty of resources on their side. We have an impressive record of success in these challenging cases.

Getting to the Bottom of Catastrophic Accidents

In our quest to obtain results in these cases, we are  aggressive and creative. When we take a case, we are prepared to take swift action. For more than 35 years they have developed a reputation for consistently providing representation to injury victims and their families that results in huge settlements and verdicts.

Caddell & Chapman recovered $30 million for the families of 14 maquiladora workers who were killed and/or injured in a tragic bus accident near Brownsville, Texas. A school bus was being used to transport workers from Mexico to a clothing manufacturing plant when the bus swerved to avoid a collision. The brakes failed, the bus turned over in a drainage ditch, and the maquiladora workers drowned.  The bus was in poor condition and had not been properly maintained by the company. All of the dead and injured came from one village in Mexico about 20 miles south of Brownsville. The victims’ employer was represented by two former Texas Supreme Court Justices and four different law firms. Caddell & Chapman successfully fought efforts to have the suit dismissed on forum non conveniens grounds, including three unsuccessful mandamus efforts at the Texas Supreme Court. Ultimately, the case settled for $30 million two weeks into trial. The company will now need to get car loans with bad credit no money down after that really big trial.

In Las Vegas, Nevada, Caddell & Chapman handled a trucking negligence case arising from a multi-fatality accident on an interstate highway in rural Nevada. The firm represented the families of four Mexican nationals who died when their disabled vehicle was struck by a Rebel Oil commercial truck. The decedents had been involved in a prior head-on collision, and their vehicle was disabled in the lanes of travel. Other drivers saw the initial accident and stopped to render aid. Before assistance could be provided, the Rebel Oil tractor-trailer, which was coming from the opposite direction, failed to see the car and crushed it at near highway speed. In the course of its investigation, Caddell & Chapman learned that the tractor-trailer driver had a history of mental illness, criminal conduct, driving citations, and prior trucking incidents. In the heavily contested case, Caddell & Chapman had to have sanctions imposed against defense counsel three times and, on the eve of trial, the parties settled for a substantial recovery of approximately $5.1 million for the decedents’ families (total attorneys’ fees: $2,040,000; litigation expenses: $240,000).

Taking on the Toughest Cases

In addition to their successes against insurance companies and major corporations, Caddell & Chapman has demonstrated its willingness to work for the underdog through its representation of families in litigation against the government. In 2008, Caddell & Chapman obtained the largest tort claim recovery against the State of Nevada in its history. The lawsuit arose from a multiple fatality accident near Las Vegas involving a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper. The trooper was driving his patrol car at 113mph without activation of emergency lights and siren. The patrol car struck a sedan occupied by five undocumented Mexican residents, which killed four and injured the fifth. In contrast to other lawyers who settled several of the wrongful death claims for the liability limits under Nevada law of $50.000 per claim, the firm developed a section 1983 claim against the state with unparalleled success. As noted by the Las Vegas Review Journal, the firm’s settlement is the largest ever made by the state to settle a lawsuit over a negligent action by an employee.

Fires and Explosions Caused by Defective Consumer Products

The variety of consumer products that can cause a fire or an explosion is surprisingly wide. Our law firm has seen cases involving burns caused by defective car ignition switches, baby wipe warmers, stereos, and other electrical home appliances. Cases can also involve fires and explosions due to defective gas tanks in cars and pickup trucks.

No matter what product caused the accident, we will seek full compensation from the manufacturer.

Caddell & Chapman successfully represented the family of a young girl in a products liability lawsuit against an international electronics corporation. The lawsuit alleged that an electronic appliance failed and caused a house fire. The fire had started in a children’s bedroom, and a young girl sleeping on a top bunk received terrible second and third degree burn injuries to roughly one-third of her body. The product manufacturer agreed that the fire began in the child’s room but claimed that the fire could not have started as the family claimed. Hiring a team of experts and investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the case, Caddell & Chapman conducted a thorough investigation of the fire and the appliance at issue. The law firm’s work included two full-scale burn tests to prove its theory of how the fire started. Such testing required re-creation of the children’s room with precise measurements and the purchase of comparable furniture appliances, clothing, opening (door and window), and other materials. With nine cameras monitoring the room, the firm and its experts started the fire at the appliance under scrutiny and watched as the fire spread through the room as had been observed by witnesses. Soon after completion of these tests, the electronics manufacturer settled for more than it had paid on any prior personal injury claim. (Note: Under terms of the settlement, the firm cannot identify or allude to the name of the electronics company.)

Aggressive, Creative Representation

From our office in Houston, Texas, our law firm is available to work on a nationwide basis in significant personal injury and wrongful death cases or if you live in NY contact Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman law firm.

Contact us today to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer.

Caddell & Chapman represents individuals, environmental groups, and Indian tribes nationwide in environmental litigation.

Since our foundation in 1985, our lawyers have made a point of focusing on significant cases. We take on cases that involve a high level of complexity and call for a serious commitment of resources. We have proven our strength by achieving an impressive record of success in these cases.

For instance, Caddell & Chapman secured an $11.5 million settlement on behalf of its client, the sovereign Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma against ASARCO LLC, a mining company.

The Quapaw claimed that ASARCO’s mining activities caused natural resource and subsidence damages to the Quapaw’s historic reservation. The Quapaw’s land is located on the largest Superfund Site in the nation – the Tar Creek Superfund Site – consisting of 40 square miles of Northeastern Oklahoma. Lead and zinc mining activities over several decades left the Quapaw’s land riddled with over 300 miles of underground tunnels, over 1,320 mine shafts, and thousands of drill holds. Mining tunnels and shafts have collapsed or are at risk of collapsing resulting in a subsidence problem that has damaged the Quapaw’s land, homes, and buildings.

To date, there have been over 119 subsidence events in this area. Over 34 million tons of toxic mining waste called tailings or chat, much of which is piled in large hills, also remain on the Quapaw land. Hazardous mining waste, such as lead, cadmium, zinc, and sulfuric acid have polluted the Quapaw’s soil and surface water and destroyed or damaged much of the Quapaw’s natural resources. The settlement was approved by the bankruptcy court in Corpus Christi, Texas on January 29, 2008.

Caddell & Chapman also defeated motions for summary judgment brought by other defendants and recovered an additional $8.856 million for the Quapaw Tribe against various other mining defendants and the BNSF railroad.

No matter how big the opponent may seem, you can be confident in our ability to take them on.

Getting Compensation for Environmental Damage

We can handle all types of environmental litigation, including lawsuits against businesses involving:

• Water contamination claims under the Clean Water Act
• Air pollution claims under the Clean Air Act
• Claims of natural resource damage
• Claims of property damage caused by environmental law violations

The goal of environmental litigation is not only to force businesses to clean up and discontinue pollution, but to obtain compensation for any illness, injury or property damage caused.

We can represent individuals in these claims. We can represent Indian tribes. We can represent environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club. We can also represent entire neighborhoods in class action lawsuits.

Individuals, Environmental Groups and Indian Tribes: Tell Us About Your Dispute

To discuss our approach to environmental litigation and how it can benefit you, contact us today.

Attorneys: We Can Assist With Environmental Litigation

Our law firm is willing to put our experience to work for the benefit of your client. Contact us today.