David Hodges has dedicated his practice to representing victims who are injured because of negligence. He has successfully litigated cases for 18-wheeler truck accidents, medical malpractice, birth injuries, pharmacy malpractice, industrial accidents, products liability, recalled product cases, and more.
Mr. Hodges has the experience needed to go up against big and small corporations alike to obtain compensation for injuries because of negligence. Many of his clients were injured in automotive or industrial accidents. His experience as a former defense attorney gives him a unique perspective and the ability to achieve outstanding results for his clients.
He takes a personal interest in his cases and will literally be at your side to represent you in the courtroom for your case. David Hodges is a founding partner of Kennedy Hodges LLP, a business partnership that now spans more than 10 years.
Some of his case results include:
- $10.7 million verdict – Mr. Hodges represented his clients in a daycare abuse case where a child at a daycare suffered broken bones. Attorneys' fees and case expenses totaled $4,282,000. Read about this case in the AAJ article.
- $3.7 million settlement - Mr. Hodges represented a client who suffered a hypoxic brain injury due to a lack of oxygen at birth. Attorneys' fees and case expenses totaled $1.8 million.
- $2.0 million settlement - An electric shock injury in an industrial accident case resulted in a client suffering a traumatic brain injury. Attorneys' fees and case expenses totaled $858,000.
- $1.8 million jury verdict - A medical malpractice case where a baby suffered a shoulder injury at birth. Attorneys' fees and case expenses totaled $254,000 on the recovery of $500,000, representing the insurance policy limits.
- $1.4 million settlement - A motor vehicle accident resulted in the wrongful death of an individual, whose estate filed a product liability case. Attorneys' fees and case expenses totaled $643,000.
- $1.1 million settlement – Wrongful death resulting from an industrial accident. Attorneys' fees and case expenses totaled $517,500.
- $1.01 million settlement – Wrongful death resulting from an explosion of a biodiesel tank. Attorneys' fees and case expenses totaled $448,000.
- 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.
David Hodges is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Less than 3% of lawyers in Texas are board certified in personal injury law. Texas Monthly and Thomson Reuters named him a Super Lawyer in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. He is an active member of many organizations, including:
- The State Bar of Texas
- Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
- The College of the State Bar of Texas
- Named a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011
- Named as "Top 100 Trial lawyers for 2011" by The National Trial Lawyers Association
- Lawyers Lifetime Achievement Society (Multi-Million Dollar Member), 2011
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum member
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA PAC Chair, former Director, Board of Advocates)
- Christian Trial Lawyers Association
- Houston Trial Lawyers Association (Director)
- Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
- District 4A Grievance Committee (Panel Chair)
Spotlight on David Hodges
"People often ask me what made me go to law school. I went to law school because of a mock trial we did in my senior government class. Although I thought I wanted to be a doctor, I discovered that my true calling in life was to be an attorney."
I had a somewhat rural childhood that occasionally included riding a horse for transportation. I was born in McAllen, Texas, but my family moved out to Cypress when I was seven. While Cypress is considered just another suburb of Houston now, it was not back then. Eventually, I traded in my horse for a motorcycle.
By the time I went to Cy-Fair Senior High School, my rural school system had become a little more urban. After high school, I attended Texas A&M University and was a member of the Corps of Cadets. I was also an NROTC scholarship recipient and recognized as a Distinguished Student.
I soon discovered that I really wanted to practice law for a living, but the Navy had other plans for me first. As a NROTC scholarship recipient, I had to fulfill my obligation to the Navy before I could attend law school. Upon graduating from A&M, I was commissioned and sent to the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center, and then promptly sent to the Fleet, where I almost immediately deployed to the Persian Gulf. During Desert Storm, I often worked 20 hour days as an Aviation Intelligence Officer. Still, I would find a few minutes each day to read guides to law schools. My passion for the law grew daily. I was finally able to take that passion to the University of Houston Law Center after transferring from active duty to the Navy Reserves. During my time in the Navy I was awarded the Sea Strike Intelligence Officer of the Year Award.
At law school, I teamed up with my current law partner, Galvin Kennedy, and won the Hippard Mock Trial Tournament. I continued with mock trial, won a spot on the mock trial team and competed in nationals for two years. I was also 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. I was able to balance my passion for trial advocacy and other extracurricular activities, including the U.S. Navy Reserves, and graduated in the top 10% of my law class.
After graduating with honors from the University of Houston Law Center, I began an almost six-year career of representing defendants and their insurers. I 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.
After graduating from law school I worked for several defense firms. Eventually, my enthusiasm for the law grew into enthusiasm for "the little guy." I firmly believed that the talents I was cultivating would be put to better use if I began representing victims rather than the victimizers. So, Galvin Kennedy and I started Kennedy Hodges LLP.