ARTICLES
Featured below is a selection of headlines and quotes from articles pertaining to Craig Muessig.
April 24th, 2018-The Baytown Sun:
JURY AWARDS LIBERTY COUNTY BOY $1.1 MILLION FOR THE LOSS OF FATHER
Baytown attorney, Craig Muessig, has announced that a Jefferson County Jury late last week awarded his client, 4-year-old Rayden Meadows of Tarkington, $1.1 million in damages for the loss of his father, Clinton Meadows.
On Jan. 24, 2016, Clinton Meadows, 25, was changing his wife’s left front tire on the shoulder of Interstate 10 in Beaumont several hundred yards from the Laurel Avenue exit. While changing the tire, a Ford Escape driven by Kendrick McCloney, 29 of Beaumont, struck and killed Meadows, knocking him forward underneath his pickup truck which was parked in front of his wife’s vehicle.
Meadows was pronounced dead approximately 40 minutes later at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Beaumont.
After a three-day trial, a Jefferson County Jury awarded Rayden, $550,000 for the past and future loss of the companionship and affection of his father and $550,000 for the past and future mental anguish for the loss of his father.
“No amount of money can bring back his daddy, but this is the only thing we can do to obtain some semblance of justice,” Muessig said.
Muessig said the money would be placed in trust under the supervision of 172nd District Court Judge Donald Floyd and would be held in trust until Rayden becomes an adult at which time it will be gradually disbursed to him.
Muessig was hired by Rayden’s mother, Harlie Easley of Tarkington.
“It was a privilege to represent this beautiful child and a sacred trust that I did not take lightly,” Muessig said.
April 14th, 2018-The Houston Chronicle:
JURY AWARDS $1.1 MILLION TO TARKINGTON BOY
A Jefferson County jury last week awarded $1.1 million to a 4-year-old Tarkington boy, Rayden Meadows. The damages were for the loss of the child’s father, Clinton Meadows.
Meadows, who was 25 at the time of his death on Jan. 24, 2016, was fatally injured while changing his wife’s left, front tire on the shoulder of I-10 in Beaumont. He died a short time later at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital.
“While changing his wife’s tire, a Ford Escape driven by defendant Kendrick McCloney left the roadway, went off onto the shoulder and struck and ran over Meadows, knocking him forward underneath his pickup truck, which was parked in front of his wife’s vehicle,” said Baytown attorney Craig Muessig, who represented Rayden in the suit.
McCloney, 29, is charged with intoxicated manslaughter and his trial is expected to begin the week of April 30 in Jefferson County.
The judgment will assure that all monies will be held in trust for Rayden until he reaches adulthood. According to Muessig, the money will be gradually dispersed to the child once he reaches adulthood.
“The judgment is subject to the supervision and control of the judge in the case,” said Muessig, speaking of 172nd District Court Judge Donald Floyd.
The judgment will be paid by McCloney’s auto insurance. It may be appealed within 30 days after the judgment is signed by Judge Floyd. Muessig is confident his client will ultimately prevail.
“We don’t anticipate any problems getting the judgment entered,” he said. Muessig indicated he does not know whether or not the defendant’s insurance company will appeal.
Muessig said his 4-year-old client was introduced to the jury during the jury selection. However, Muessig felt he was too young to give testimony in the case.
“I wanted the jury to see my client. He’s 4 and shy, and this is all foreign to him,” the attorney said. “I don’t think he put two and two together as to understanding what was taking place at the courthouse but he does understand that his daddy is in heaven.”
Cases such as these where he gets to represent a young child against a major insurance company are the reason he went to law school, Muessig said.
“No amount of money can replace the child’s father,” Muessig said, “but this is the only semblance of justice we can provide.”
April 13th, 2018- The Beaumont Enterprise:
JURY AWARDS $2 MILLION TO FAMILY OF MAN KILLED WHILE CHANGING TIRE
"A Jefferson County jury this week awarded more than $2 million to the family of a man killed while changing a tire on I-10 in 2016.
Clinton Meadows was changing the tire on his wife's Chevrolet Malibu on the shoulder near the Laurel Street exit just after 10 p.m. on Jan. 24 when he was hit by a car.
Meadows, 25, was pronounced dead.
The driver, Kendrick McCloney, 29, was indicted on a second-degree felony charge of intoxication manslaughter in April 2016. His criminal case is still pending, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office said, and is set to go to trial on April 30.
Police said in 2016 that McCloney switched lanes before hitting Meadows.
On Wednesday, a civil jury unanimously decided that McCloney's negligence caused Meadows' death, and ruled that his wife, Kaylynn Swearingen Meadows, and his son, Rayden Meadows, 4, should receive a total of $2.2 million from McCloney in compensation.
Baytown Attorney Craig Muessig, who represented Rayden, said Clinton's truck was parked in front of Kaylynn's Malibu, and he was kneeling at the front left tire.
A witness to the crash testified at trial that McCloney veered off the road and on to the shoulder, hitting the back of the Malibu before hitting Clinton, who landed underneath his truck, Muessig said.
"No amount of money can bring back his (Rayden's) daddy," Muessig said. "But it's the only thing we can do to obtain some semblance of justice."
McCloney's and Kaylynn's lawyers could not be reached for comment Thursday.McCloney was arrested by Nacogdoches police for driving while intoxicated and was convicted of the misdemeanor in 2010, according to public records."
The Baytown Sun:
CRAIG MUESSIG: LAWYER FOR THE LITTLE GUY-THIS ATTORNEY FIGHTS THE BIG BOYS AND WINS!
"Baytown personal injury lawyer Craig Muessig's clients are always the little guys. Over the years, Muessig has successfully handled claims against most of the corporate giants in the Baytown area. Muessig's clients are always seriously injured accident victims, widows and orphans, whose lives have been destroyed by an individual or corporation's negligence and carelessness. His opponents are some of the largest corporations, insurance companies, and law firms in the world, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
Muessig indicates it is very satisfying to successfully represent injury victims and their families against these multimillion dollar corporations, particularly when the larger opponents try to intimidate their smaller opposition.
Muessig recalls a case in which he was representing a Baytown widow whose husband had been killed in an 18-wheeler accident on Interstate 10. 'The defendant in that case was a refinery who was represented by one of the larger defense firms in the City of Houston. While it appeared obvious to me that the 18-wheeler driver was at fault, I will never forget the large firm defense lawyer arrogantly telling me that he would take his chances at trial and that this case would definitely be tried to a jury verdict. We proceeded to thoroughly prepare the case for trial. The day before trial, they apparently changed their minds, as the offer by the defendant went from zero to $2,000,000, the figure for which the case was settled.'
Muessig also recalls a case in which he was representing a southeast Houston couple whose healthy newborn infant died as a result of medical negligence by a pediatrician and the nursing staff at a Pasadena hospital. The hospital was represented by a 900-member law firm which has offices throughout the world. Muessig states, 'It was bad enough that these poor parents had to undergo the loss of their daughter, but then this law firm acted as if they were thoroughly annoyed that these parents had the audacity to file a lawsuit against the hospital for the death of their child. After years of taking depositions on the case, it was set for trial. The hospital and their large insurance company and defense firm, knowing that juries very rarely find negligence against defendant hospitals, offered nothing to settle the case. After a long, hard fought, two-week trial, a Harris County jury found the hospital employees negligent and awarded the parents a $950,000 judgement for the loss of their baby. The attitude of the defendant hospital, their huge insurance company, and their large defense firm toward the parents of this baby made this the most satisfying jury verdict in my career.'
In 1989, Muessig was representing a Channelview electrician who sustained third-degree burns over most of the upper part of his body when a defective industrial safety switch malfunctioned and caused a sudden electrical fire. Muessig recalls, 'in that particular case, despite the fact that my client was severely burned as a result of the defective safety switch, one of the defense lawyers told me that since this was a case of very questionable liability and was going to take tens of thousands of dollars to properly develop, I would be much better off saving my money and withdrawing from the case. After spending thousands of dollars and several years taking depositions, we were able to prove that not only was the switch defective, but that the contractor who had installed the safety switch was negligent also. After being told by the defense lawyer that I was wasting my time and my money, we subsequently settled that case on behalf of this burn victim for the amount of $918,000.'
Muessig stated, 'The secret to success in this business is knowing how to effectively try personal injury lawsuits. If the defendant and his insurance company know that a seriously injured accident victim was injured as a result of the defendant's wrongdoing and that he has a lawyer who will go down to the courthouse and win his case, then the insurance company is going to pay what the injury victim has coming to him. If the injured person does not have a lawyer that knows how to win, then the insurance company is not going to pay what justice requires in that particular case. In other words, victims of negligence who have been seriously injured should carefully screen and choose their lawyers.'
Muessig indicates that the secret of successfully representing injury victims and their families against the largest corporations and insurance companies in the world is contained in a saying that prominently hangs on his office wall. It reads: PRESS ON 'Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not, nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrecorded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not, the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.'
Muessig smiled and said, 'In other words, never let the bad guys get you down!' "
The Baytown Sun:
MUESSIG NAMED ONE OF HOUSTON AREA'S BEST LAWYERS
"Baytown attorney Craig Muessig has been named one of the Houston area's best personal injury lawyers in the August edition of H Texas Magazine. The area's finest lawyers were determined by an election of their fellow attorneys conducted by the magazine and by other factors such as whether or not the attorneys are recognized experts by the State of Texas in their chosen fields.
Muessig has successfully represented injured refinery and chemical plant workers in cases against Exxon, Chevron, Shell, Mobil, and Lyondell. Most recently he has represented three refinery workers injured in the British Petroleum plant explosion in Texas City. Two of these cases have been successfully settled. At the insistence of British Petroleum, the settlement amounts are confidential.
Last year Muessig won a $958,000 verdict for an area resident who had major neck surgery after being seriously injured by a drunk driver.
Muessig has been board certified since 1987 by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law. The world's most recognized legal directory, Martingale-Hubbell, has honored him with its highest rating in legal ability and ethics. Muessig is a director of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association.
The Baytown Sun:
BARTGIS LAWSUIT SETTLED
"Houston attorney Craig Muessig said final papers were to be filed Wednesday in a $2,021,000 settlement of a Baytown widow's claim against Independent Refining Corp of Houston.
Muessig also said the claim of Gail Tiemann, who was a passenger in the Bartgis vehicle, was settled for a $225,000 cash payout. Muessig represented both Mrs. Bartgis and Mrs. Tiemann in their lawsuits against Independent Refining Corp. "
The Baytown Sun:
BAYTOWN ATTORNEY WINS DWI LAWSUIT
"Baytown attorney Craig Muessig recently won a $958,649 verdict in a drunk driving case. The case was tried in the 55th District Court in Houston. A Dallas resident, who was represented by Muessig, was awarded a judgement, including pre-judgement interest, in excess of $1 million as a result of an auto accident which resulted in an emergency neck surgery. "
The Pasadena Citizen:
PASADENA BAYSHORE FOUND NEGLIGENT IN CHILD'S DEATH
"A jury has awarded a Sagemont couple $951,000 for the death of the couple's 5-day-old daughter because of alleged negligence by the Pasadena Baytown Shore Medical Center. Kimberly was three days old when she was given a double exchange blood transfusion as a treatment for jaundice. She died two days later as a result of complications arising from the transfusion.
Ray and Emma Garcia received $605,000 in damages, coupled with $346,000 of prejudgement interest for the death of their daughter Kimberly.
The jury in Judge Lamar McCorkle's 133rd State District Court found that the lab technicians, operating room nurses, and nursery nurses were negligent in caring for the child and that negligence caused the child's death, according to Craig Muessig, attorney for the plaintiffs."
The Channelview Sentinel:
MAN GETS $918,000 SETTLEMENT
"Baytown attorney Craig Muessig announced that a $918,000 settlement of Channelview resident David Fenner's lawsuit against defendants Parmley Electric Co. of Houston, Gould Inc. of Rolling Meadows, III., and Wholesale Electric Supply Co. of Houston was reached before trial.
Fenner, who suffered third degree burns to his chest, received $475,000 from Gould Inc. and Wholesale Electric Supply, and $443,000 from Parmley Electiric, resulting in a total settlement of $918,000."
The Baytown Sun:
MAN GETS $275,000 IN CHEVRON LAWSUIT
"Baytown attorney Craig Muessig announced that $275,000 has been paid to Liberty County resident Evert Roulston in settlement of his lawsuit against Chevron. As a result of the industrial accident, Ralston sustained broken ribs, a concussion, and a separated shoulder requiring surgery. The lawsuit was filed in the 60th District Court in Beaumont and was settled shortly before trial."
The Baytown Sun:
MONT BELVIEU WOMAN WINS $46,500 SETTLEMENT
"Baytown attorney Craig Muessig announced this week that his client, Karen Tiemann, 43, a Barbers Hill native, has won a $46,500 settlement. The Galveston County lawsuit arose from an auto accident on Highway 146 in which Tiemann sustained a concussion."