DAVID W. HODGES, Attorney at Law
Mr. Hodges is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He was born in the Texas Valley and grew up in Houston, Texas. After graduating from Cy-Fair Senior High School, he attended Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. At A&M, Mr. Hodges was an NROTC scholarship recipient and recognized as a Distinguished Student. Upon graduation, he served in the United States Navy as an Intelligence Officer. He saw service in Desert Storm and was awarded the Sea Strike Intelligence Officer of the Year Award.
Mr. Hodges left active duty in order to return to his hometown and attend the University of Houston Law Center. As with his naval career, his law school career was marked with excellence. Mr. Hodges teamed up with his current law partner, Galvin Kennedy, and won the Hippard Mock Trial Tournament. He continued his mock trial career on the National Mock Trial Team and competed in Nationals for two years. In addition, Mr. Hodges was an editor of the Houston Journal of International Law, head of the Order of the Barons (the Law Center's honor society) and a member of the National Order of the Barristers. Although Mr. Hodges was dedicated to trial advocacy and other extracurricular activities (including the U.S. Navy Reserves), he nevertheless managed to graduate in the top 10% of his law school class.
After graduating with honors from the University of Houston Law Center, Mr. Hodges began an almost six-year career of representing defendants and their insurers. He also practiced commercial litigation and gained substantial experience prosecuting, defending and trying claims for breach of contract, tortious interference, business disparagement, unfair competition, theft of trade secrets, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, deceptive trade practices, anti-trust and construction litigation. He has also represented insureds in first-party insurance disputes.
In the final years of his defense practice, Mr. Hodges dedicated his time to representing hospitals, doctors, nurses and allied health care professionals. While working at Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, L.L.P. (which became Andrews & Kurth, L.L.P.), Mr. Hodges was responsible at various times for every stage of a medical malpractice case, from the initial filing of the lawsuit through the appellate process.
Mr. Hodges is an active member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Trial Lawyers Association (Director, Board of Advocates), Christian Trial Lawyers Association, Houston Trial Lawyers Association, Houston Trial Lawyers Foundation, and the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists. Mr. Hodges is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a national organization whose membership is limited to trial lawyers who have demonstrated exceptional skill, experience and excellence in advocacy by achieving a trial verdict, award or settlement in the amount of one million dollars or more. Mr. Hodges is licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas and admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas.
An assortment of state and national news organizations have interviewed and featured Mr. Hodges concerning his representation of various clients. He has also been interviewed on the subject of tort reform and Texas medical malpractice law.
Representative trial cases:
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy suffered during birth. In this case, Mr. Hodges represented the family of a girl who suffered injury at birth due to the hospital's and doctors' negligence. The case settled against one of the doctors for a confidential amount and proceeded against the remaining defendants.
Shoulder Dystocia and resulting brachial plexus injury. During a vaginal delivery, a baby's shoulder may become stuck and injured if not handled appropriately. Mr. Hodges has handled several of these cases, including ones in which a complete avulsion occurred, rendering the babies' arms almost useless for life.
Insurance coverage dispute. Mr. Hodges represented a business owner who was sued because his employee assaulted someone. The business owner's insurance company refused to cover the claim. The case ultimately went all the way to the Texas Supreme Court, where a unanimous court ruled in favor of Mr. Hodges' client.
Products liability. Mr. Hodges represented a worker whose dominant hand was cut off by a defective machine. The case settled for a confidential amount prior to trial.
Business litigation. Mr. Hodges represented a company that was owed money on several multi-million dollar contracts. He successfully prosecuted the case determinative issues in the trial court and on appeal.
Areas of Practice:
- Personal Injury
- Auto & Trucking Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- Catastrophic Injuries
- Commercial Litigation
- Breach of Contract
- Tortious Interference
- Business Disparagement
- Unfair Competition
- Theft of Trade Secrets
- Fraud
- Negligent Misrepresentation
- Breach of Fiduciary Duty
- Deceptive Trade Practices
- Anti-Trust and Construction Litigation
Certification/Specialties:
Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Bar Admissions:
Texas
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
Education:
University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas
Honors: With Honors
Honors: Order of the Barons (Law Center's Honor Society)
Honors: Member National Order of the Barristers
Honors: Champion, Hippard Mock Trial Tournament
Law Journal: Houston Journal of International Law, EditorTexas A&M University
Honors: Member, Corps of Cadets
Honors: NROTC Scholarship Recipient
Honors: Distinguished Student
Honors and Awards:
- Recipient, Sea Strike Intelligence Officer of the Year Award
- AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Named one of Houston's Top Lawyers by H Texas Magazine
- Named a Professional on the Fast Track by H Texas Magazine
- Named a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly
Professional Associations and Memberships:
State Bar of Texas
MemberTexas Trial Lawyers Association
MemberTexas Trial Lawyers Association
Director, Board of AdvocatesChristian Trial Lawyers Association
MemberHouston Trial Lawyers Association
MemberHouston Trial Lawyers Foundation
MemberTexas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
MemberAmerican Association for Justice (AAJ)
Member
Past Employment Positions:
United States Navy, Intelligence Officer
Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, L.L.P. (Andrews & Kurth, L.L.P.)
