Trent Shelton

Our attorneys won an eight-figure verdict for a plaintiff who was only weeks away from a full-salary NBA career when he suffered a brutal burn injury. Our client was a young man who devoted his life to basketball, rising to the highest levels of the sport. Right out of high school, he was a national top 20 prospect and led Marquette to the Elite 8. In 2017, his career took a major leap forward: he signed a two-way contract with the Lakers. A two-way contract enabled him to play for the Lakers or their G League team; after 45 days of playing for the Lakers, he’d officially join the Lakers with an increased salary.

But just three weeks after signing, his life took a tragic, career-derailing turn. After a game, he went to relax at a Dallas nightclub where he was unknowingly seated next to a CO2 sprayer—a part of the nightclub’s entertainment. It was while seated that he was hit with a CO2 sprayer without warning, subjecting him to temperatures of -110 degrees Fahrenheit.

These temperatures are cold enough to cause serious burn damage.

When he came to us, our firm was determined to uncover every party who designed, installed, and approved the CO2 machine that upended our client’s career. His burns derailed a promising career in basketball, robbing him of the chance to play at the highest levels of the game.

After our investigation, we filed suit against a dozen separate individuals and legal entities for their role in causing our client harm. The jury’s $33.5 million verdict finally holds all of them collectively accountable for the careless decision-making that impaired a rising star athlete’s promising career.

Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Caj Boatright, and Trent Shelton reached a $9,500,000 settlement on behalf of an injured oilfield worker. Our client suffered a traumatic brain injury and needed surgeries on his back and neck due to being struck in the head by a pipe that blew off a piece of oilfield equipment. We took 35 depositions, and the defendants then chose to settle instead of facing us at trial. This settlement ensures our client will get the best medical care and that his wife and kids are taken care of for the rest of their lives.

Attorney Jason Itkin and our legal team successfully negotiated a $9 million settlement for a grieving family whose son lost his life during a night out in Dallas. The young man fell victim to a chokehold maneuver executed by a bar bouncer, leading to fatal consequences. The Arnold & Itkin team meticulously gathered evidence and compelling testimonies, ultimately revealing the bouncer’s lack of proper training by the nightclub and his previous arrests for assault. This case highlighted the nightclub’s egregious negligence, holding them accountable for prioritizing profits over the safety of their patrons and staff.

Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Trent Shelton overcame numerous obstacles to help our client, a senior toolpusher, find justice after sustaining a life-changing injury offshore. The defendant in this case required our client to use a hands-free device without first implementing appropriate training and research into the equipment, ultimately causing our client to sustain a severe back injury that has rendered him permanently unable to provide for his family. Despite various motions filed by the defendant and bankruptcy filings, our attorneys were able to hold the defendant accountable. We are proud to have secured our client’s future with this significant settlement.

Attorneys Kurt Arnold and Trent Shelton reached a $2 million settlement on behalf of a senior toolpusher who sustained severe back injuries using a hands-free device while working offshore. Our client was using a device that the company required; however, it did not conduct any training or research before requiring it. In addition, the company did not properly train the crewmembers on its use. Our team faced numerous obstacles throughout litigation, but in the end, we were able to hold the defendant accountable.

Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Jason Itkin, and Trent Shelton represented a worker severely injured after being crushed against a roller machine. The accident resulted from his employer’s negligence, but they still took a hard stance that they wouldn’t pay more than $750,000. Despite that, and after a long-fought battle, the case settled for $1.45 million two weeks before arbitration was set to begin.

When a vessel owner failed to adequately prepare the workspace for a longshoreman, this resulted in him sustaining serious injuries. Attorneys at Arnold & Itkin had to litigate for two years before the vessel owner would concede liability. Our firm is honored to have been able to win this case for our deserving client, securing a $1,300,000 result to help him rebuild and move forward.

Our attorneys represented a grocery store worker who had been ordered to unload pallets of milk, even though they weighed more than 200 pounds. While attempting to carry out this unreasonable order, our client was seriously injured, such that he had to go through back fusion surgery and is no longer able to perform manual work. Our firm is proud to have been able to secure a 7-figure settlement on his behalf to help him and his family have the finances to move forward.

After a long-fought battle, Attorneys Kurt Arnold, Caj Boatright, and Trent Shelton obtained justice on behalf of an injured railroad worker. Our client suffered a concussion and required a two-level cervical fusion after another employee operating a piece of railroad equipment collided with his vehicle. The defendants attempted to hide behind the law for more than two years following the accident—trying to bar the lawsuit by claiming that they were not a FELA employer. They offered a settlement of only $130,000. Despite these challenges, we continued to fight for our client and ultimately reached a $1.25 million settlement.