The Bernsen Law Firm is proud to announce that attorney David E. Bernsen was named the “Texas Lawyer of the Week” by Texas Lawyer magazine for the week of March 2, 2015. Bernsen was able to show that an Orange County jail showed “deliberate indifference,” leading to the death of prisoner Robert Montano. The jury awarded Montano’s family $2.4 million in damages.
“The burden of proving deliberate indifference is difficult. The standard is above gross negligence but a little bit under intentional harm. At times that was a hard sell, but we were able to get over that hurdle because of the evidence,” Bernsen told Texas Lawyer.
Bernsen showed that Montano died of renal failure after spending days in a jail cell without running water or a toilet. The prison’s guards did not respond when Montano expressed pain and even blocked the windows of his cell to avoid having to look at him. The county’s lawyers claimed that Montano died due to complications from ingesting bath salts.
Bernsen has more than 30 years of experience handling complex litigation cases involving personal injury, insurance claims, auto accidents, bank fraud, commercial matters, general negligence and more.
To learn more about how the experienced and knowledgeable attorneys at the Bernsen Law Firm can help you, call us at 409-212-9994 or contact us online today. Our office is conveniently located in downtown Beaumont.