About Brent M. Cordell

 

Brent Cordell practices exclusively in the area of personal injury law. His number one focus is helping people with severe injuries get the legal representation they desire. Throughout his career, Mr. Cordell has helped thousands of injured people get the just compensation they deserve.
“My job is to level the playing field so to speak. I want the average man to have the same rights, privileges and legal representation as the big insurance companies and corporations do.” “Our civil justice system is designed to make the injured party whole again. How can this be accomplished if you don’t have the same access to the courthouse as the insurance companies do?”

Mr. Cordell handles all types of personal injury cases, including automobile accidents, trucking accidents, medical malpractice, products liability, premises liability, insurance bad faith and work related accidents.
Brent Cordell is board certified in Personal Injury Law, an impressive feat that requires each lawyer:

• Has been licensed to practice law for at least five years
• Devoted a required percentage of practice to personal injury trial law for at least three years
• Has handled a wide variety of personal injury trial law matters to demonstrate experience and involvement
• Attended personal injury trial law continuing education seminars regularly to keep legal training up to date
• Has been evaluated by fellow lawyers and judges
• Passed a day-long written examination

The attorney must also have extensive knowledge of the law of evidence, procedure, and other substantive law involved in the trial of personal injury cases.

Brent Cordell received his Juris Doctorate degree from South Texas College of Law in 1999. He graduated from law school as a member of the Order of Barristers, a national honor society for courtroom advocates. While at South Texas he received the following honors: Dean's Outstanding Advocate Award; Finalist, American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition, 1999; Champion, National Moot Court Competition (Assoc. of the Bar of New York), 1999; Champion, Texas Young Lawyers Association State Moot Court Competition, 1998. Prior to attending law school, he obtained his B.A. in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin in 1995.

Brent M. Cordell handles cases all over the Country and is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas. He is an active member of the American, Texas and Houston Bar Associations, is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Christian Trial Lawyers Association.

For more information visit  www.cordell-law.com

Why do I Need a Personal Injury Attorney?

Many people who are injured in accidents can (and do) successfully represent themselves and manage to obtain a fair settlement without the help of a personal injury attorney; in some instances cases can be settled out of court to the satisfaction of both parties, especially if the damages are relatively minor. But in cases where the injuries or damages are more severe things can rapidly become far more complicated and unless you have specific legal training you are likely unfamiliar with all the laws pertaining to personal injury claims. The insurance companies on the other hand know every legal loophole, and their attorneys have years of experience in these cases.

When someone suffers an injury as the result of somebody else's action or negligence it may be expected that the person or their insurance company will step up and offer a fair settlement. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. In fact, people often refuse to accept responsibility and the insurance companies themselves profit from under compensating injury victims. Insurance companies will typically do everything they can to take advantage of you and to effect the lowest possible settlement, while attempting to elicit statements from you that will damage your position if you ultimately decide to go to the courts.

In many cases the skills of an experienced personal injury lawyer (and the threat to an insurance company that such a lawyer may present) are well worth the money needed for that lawyer to represent you. You may need a lawyer because of complex legal rules involved in your particular claim, or if the severity of your injuries require your compensation to vary greatly from the norm. Or the insurance company may simply refuse to settle a matter in good faith.  A personal injury attorney should have direct experience in cases like yours and can tell you at the outset whether it is worthwhile to pursue legal action. If you are unlikely to prevail, you don't need to incur the time and expense of preparing for litigation.

• An experienced personal injury attorney knows exactly how to build your case, negotiate it with an insurance company and, if necessary, has the knowledge and legal training required to handle your case in trial. 
• They have access to investigators with experience in specialized areas, and will study all aspects of your case. 
• They can also be more objective about your case, avoiding rash decisions that could affect the ultimate settlement.
• A personal injury lawyer has years of experience working with other attorneys and can deal more effectively and expediently with opposing counsel.
• Attorneys are used to working with insurance companies and know their tactics: they will not be pressured to settle for an unsatisfactory amount.

The majority of personal injury lawyers also work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they take a percentage of the final settlement amount rather than a direct payment. The contingency fee is only paid if your attorney wins the case but you may be liable for court fees and other costs, especially if your case goes to court. Nonetheless, studies have shown that plaintiffs who hire an attorney to handle their claim walk away with more compensation than those who do not hire a lawyer, even after the attorney’s fees are paid.


Insurance adjusters are trained to offer as low a settlement amount as possible for injuries; finding effective legal assistance as soon as possible can insure that your rights to compensation are protected. Hiring an attorney who practices personal injury law on a regular basis can ensure that your rights are protected.

Brent Cordell practices exclusively in the area of personal injury law. His number one focus is helping people with severe injuries get the legal representation they desire. Throughout his career, Mr. Cordell has helped thousands of injured people get the just compensation they deserve.
If you or someone you know has been injured through the fault of another party, contact us at www.cordell-law.com or call 1-844-8LEGAL8 (1-844-853-4258) for a free consultation.

Accidents involving a head injury

Every year in America, nearly 100,000 people suffer serious brain injuries that require medical treatment and affect their ability to perform everyday activities. You do not have to be traveling at a high rate of speed or to strike a hard object in order to suffer a traumatic brain injury. Serious brain injuries can result from falls, car accidents, sports activities, and work-related accidents. Any kind of trauma to the head or neck region can cause the brain to bruise, bleed, tear, or swell.

There are two general types of head injuries: open and closed. An open injury means the skull has been fractured, and this kind of brain injury usually results from falls or other accidents in which the head comes in direct contact with a hard surface or object. A closed head injury does not involve a fracture, but can be more serious than an open injury due to the possibility of brain swelling and the formation of dangerous blood clots inside the skull. Whether a brain injury is open or closed, the most serious of either type can cause paralysis, loss of consciousness, and even death.

Soon after an accident or injury, it may be difficult to know whether you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury, especially when no visual indications of serious injury exist. Here are some things to look out for when evaluating an accident victim's potential for brain injuries:

• Confusion and difficulty remembering recent events
• Unusual tiredness or sluggishness
• Nausea and dizziness
• Severe headache Weakness or numbness on one side of the body

If any of the above symptoms are present soon after an accident or injury, you should seek immediate medical attention. It is even possible to suffer from a brain injury and still feel fine. Some victims have suffered serious brain injuries in an automobile accident, yet have been able to get out of their car and direct traffic away from the scene. Therefore, if there is any question at all whether a brain injury could have occurred in an accident, it is critical to go to the nearest hospital for a thorough medical evaluation.

Whether a catastrophic injury involves an amputation, a brain injury, a spinal cord injury or any other injury, Brent M. Cordell is committed to protecting the rights of the injured and help families cope with the physical, financial and emotional issues associated with a catastrophic injuries or fatal accident.

Disputes with your Insurance Company: Houston Personal Injury Attorney

Each year, thousands of insurance claimants and policyholders experience some degree of bad faith representation by their insurance company. Any of the following issues may constitute bad faith on your insurance company’s part:

• unreasonable delay or denial of claim
• failure to immediately conduct an adequate investigation
• failure to act reasonably in evaluating your claim
• failure to promptly pay your legitimate claim

Bad faith insurance involves any matter where an insurance company has breached its implied obligation of good faith and fair dealing. This occurs most often when a consumers claim is unreasonably delayed, underpaid, inadequately investigated, or entirely denied. Bad faith insurance companies use fraudulent and deceptive tactics to intentionally deny or withhold proper payment of policyholders’ claims.

Previously, a long and difficult arbitration was required to fight a bad faith claim but today a lawyer can help you evaluate the claims that have been denied or delayed. From healthcare to automobile insurance and disability claims, consumers should be fairly represented by the insurance company to whom they pay a premium, and often, a deductible.

It is important for a bad faith claimant to recognize, however, the economic and time costs associated with proceeding with a bad faith claim can be large. As such, bad faith lawyers often require a case show reasonably large damage amounts in order to pursue a bad faith claim.

If you have experienced one of the above issues with your insurance company it may constitute bad faith on your insurance company’s part and may entitle you to substantial compensation and punitive damages, amounts of money intended to punish the insurance company when the firm has acted in an overtly unfair way. If you or a loved one have experienced insurance bad faith, contact Brent M. Cordell for a free consultation at www.cordell-law.com or 1-844-8LEGAL8 (1-844-853-4258). We will use our experience, knowledge and resources to achieve the best possible results for you and your family.

Accidents Caused by Cell-phones and Texting - Houston Personal Injury Attorney

Studies by The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute have shown that texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving: someone texting while driving is 23 times more likely to be in an accident than other drivers. "Distracted driving" studies by the CDC report that 69% of drivers in the United States ages 18-64 reported that they had talked on their cell phone while driving within the 30 days before they were surveyed and 31% of U.S. drivers ages 18-64 reported that they had read or sent text messages or email messages while driving at least once within the 30 days before they were surveyed.

The Insurance Information Institute identified drivers ages 18-24 as the group most likely to text or use a cell phone while driving. Teenage girls were more likely than boys to use their phones behind the wheel. Since teens especially lack advanced driving skills, they are the least equipped to deal with this type of distraction. 

Every time drivers send or receive a text, their eyes are off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. During this time a driver who is going 55 mph could cover an entire football field, placing everyone in that area at potentially risk of becoming involved in a serious distracted driving crash. Texting while driving is dangerous not just to the texter, but also to innocent people on the road who could be injured or killed by a driver who isn’t paying attention.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has strongly suggested to lawmakers throughout the U.S. that a blanket ban on texting and driving would both save lives and reduce the accident risk. However, no federal law exists and the Texas governor has vetoed a bill that would have imposed a statewide ban on texting for all drivers. this means that drivers in Texas are allowed to text and drive unless they fall into one of a few categories. Section 545.424 of the Texas Code prohibits drivers under age 18 from using any type of wireless communication device while driving; Texas also places limits on school bus drivers (can’t use their cell phone when children are on the bus), drivers in school zones (cannot use a wireless communication device) and drivers with a learner’s permit (six-month moratorium on using cell phones when they first learn how to drive).
Texas State laws on texting and driving basically entail:

• Ban on all cell phone (handheld and Hands-free) for bus drivers (Primary law)
• Ban on all cell phone (handheld and Hands-free) for novice drivers (Primary law)
• Ban on texting for novice drivers (Primary law)
• Ban on texting for bus drivers (Primary law)
• Ban on the use of hand-held phones and texting in school zones

Note: In Texas bus driver laws pertain to bus drivers with passengers age 17 and under. Novice drivers are defined as all drivers at the intermediate stage, first 12 months.

Additionally, some Texas cities and counties have local bans on texting while driving: these include Dallas, Austin, Amarillo and San Antonio.

Even though texting while driving is not specifically illegal for all motorists in Texas, reckless driving is. According to the Texas Transportation Code, reckless driving is defined as operating a motor vehicle with "willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property". In reckless driving, the driver does not intend to cause harm but still sees the possibility of harm, taking the risk anyway. Recklessness involves a greater degree of fault than negligence but a lesser degree of fault than intentional wrongdoing.

In 2011, the Texas Department of Transportation reported 81,000 crashes involving driver distraction or inattention. Statewide, roughly 3,000 people are killed in auto accidents annually and over 200,000 are injured. With one reportable crash occurring on Texas roadways every 83 seconds, thousands of accident victims and their loved ones are in need of medical care, property repair, and legal counsel each year. Drivers who fail to show a reasonable degree of care when driving can be sued and made to pay damages in a personal injury claim, and victims have a legal right to claim damages and compensation.

Brent Cordell has extensive experience with auto accident claims, and is committed to serving individuals who have suffered personal injuries due to the dangerous or negligent acts of another. He can help you to prove that a driver was unreasonably careless by texting while driving. Contact us at www.cordell-law.com or call 1-844-8LEGAL8 (1-844-853-4258) for a free consultation.