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Our firm has achieved some of the highest judgments and settlements under the Federal Tort Claims Act across multiple states. With a track record of setting legal benchmarks nationwide, we are committed to delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients.
Trial Lawyers Representing Victims Across the United States
Our Cases in the News
- Air Force Ordered to Pay $230 Million to Victims of 2017 Church Shooting, The New York Times February 7, 2023
- Sutherland Spring Victims Agree to Record FTCA Settlement to end the DOJ appeal in a letter to the AG, NBC News January 20, 2023
- DOJ ask judge to throw out ruling that found the Air Force mostly responsible for mass shooting at Sutherland Springs, KENS5 January 10, 2023
- Continuing the Fight for the Sutherland Springs’ Victims w/ Jamal Alsaffar, Lawyer Minds Podcast #29 December 6, 2022
- How likely is it to win a lawsuit against a gun seller or manufacturer after a mass shooting? KXAN November 30, 2022
- Five years on, shooting victims fight for government to admit liability, The Washington Post August 13, 2022
- Sutherland Springs families wait for justice KENS 5 DC News September 1, 2022
- Five years on, Sutherland Springs shooting victims fight for government to admit liability LMTonline August 13, 2022
- Five years on, shooting victims fight for government to admit liability Washington Post August 13, 2022
- The Justice Department Appeals a Case that Found the Air Force Culpable in a Mass Shooting Federal Drive Podcast with Host Tom Temin
- Austin attorney representing Uvalde victim’s family in lawsuit against Daniel Defense KXAN June 5, 2022
- Analysis: Police, guns, and schools protected from lawsuits over Texas shooting Reuters June 2, 2022
- Gov. Abbott falsely claims background checks would not have prevented Sutherland Springs shooting KERA News May 31, 2022
Across the United States
Achieving Justice Nationwide with Unparalleled Verdicts and Settlements
National Trial Law has a storied history of securing landmark verdicts and settlements across the United States. Notable achievements include a $230 million judgment for survivors of the Sutherland Springs Church mass shooting, a $44.7 million trial judgment for a birth injury at an Air Force hospital, and a $21.5 million verdict for a veteran who suffered catastrophic brain damage due to malpractice at the Manchester VA Hospital—the largest personal injury award in New Hampshire history. These results underscore the firm's dedication to holding institutions accountable and delivering justice for their clients.
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Record-Setting $230,000,000
Trial Win Sutherland Springs Mass Shooting
Highest Verdict and Settlement in FTCA History -
Record-Setting $44,717,681
Trial Win Air Force Birth Injury -
Record-Setting $21,592,643
Trial Win VA Medical Malpractice -
Record-Setting $10,500,000
Settlement VA Medical Malpractice
- Analysis-Police, guns and schools protected from lawsuits over Texas shooting KELO News May 31, 2022
- ‘It’s nightmarish’: Attorney for Sutherland Springs victims talks about parallels to Uvalde KXAN News May 27, 2022
- 104 – Jamal Alsaffar – Sutherland Springs: The Untold Story of a Foreseeable Tragedy Trial Lawyer Nation April 15, 2022
- Judge Determines Damages for Sutherland Springs Survivors Relatives to be Paid By Federal Government The Texan February 14 2022
- For Sutherland Springs families, verdict brings closure but won’t bring back loved ones San Antonio Express News by Guillermo Contreras on February 8, 2022
- Air Force Fought Families of Texas Shurch Shooting Victims Tooth and Nail Lawyer Says Military.com by Thomas Novelly on February 8, 2022
- $230 Million Verdict: 9 Figure Award After Second San Antonio Bench Trial, Law.com by Adolfo Pesquera on February 8, 2022
- Department of Justice ordered to pay more than $230M to victims, family members in Sutherland Springs shooting, KXAN News by Maggie Glynn on February 7, 2022
- Victims, family from Sutherland Springs shooting awarded $230 million, Texas Standard, February 8, 2022
- Air Force Ordered to Pay $230 Million to Victims of 2017 Church Shooting, The New York Times, February 7, 2022
- Sutherland Springs victims’ lawyer calls government offer ‘inhumane, shocking’, Houston Public Media, November 30 2021
- US offers less than 10% of damages requested by Sutherland Springs shooting victims, Courthouse News Service, November 29 2022
- Holding Government Accountable After a Massacre at Sutherland Springs w/ Jamal Alsaffar, Lawyer Minds Podcast, August 10 2021
- Air Force Found Largely Responsible for Texas Church Shooting, Wall Street Journal, July 7, 2021
- Air Force mostly responsible for church massacre in Sutherland Springs, Tex., judge says, Washington Post, July 7, 2021
- Court Rules US Government Liable to Mass Shooting Victims in Sutherland Springs Church Massacre, Law.com, July 7, 2021
- Judge finds U.S. 60% responsible for 2017 Texas church mass shooting, Reuters, July 7, 2021
- Judge says Air Force liable in Sutherland Springs shooting, San Antonio Express-News, July 7, 2021
- Judge rules Air Force bears 60 percent of responsibility for Sutherland Springs massacre, WOAI-TV San Antonio, July 7, 2021
- Judge Rules US Air Force Largely Responsible For Sutherland Springs Shooting, Texas Public Radio, July 7, 2021
- ‘He Was the Angel of Death’: Trial Over Sutherland Springs Shooting Concludes, Courthouse News, April 20, 2021
- Feds argue Air Force not liable for Sutherland Springs massacre, or only partly responsible, San Antonio Express-News, April 13, 2021
- Air Force Can’t Escape Suit Over Ex-Airman’s Mass Shooting, Law360, January 8, 2021
- Courts Slash Governmental Immunity, Allowing Mass Shooting Victims to Sue, Law.com, September 5, 2019
- U.S. Air Force could face liability in Texas shooting: legal experts, Reuters, November 9, 2017
- San Antonio judge sanctions government lawyers for keeping names from Sutherland Springs survivors, San Antonio Express-News, September 25, 2017
- Air Force could face record lawsuits over mass shooting, Stars and Stripes, November 13, 2017
- At a four-star veterans’ hospital: Care gets ‘worse and worse,’ Boston Globe, July 15, 2017
- Tragedy and injustice: The heartbreaking truth about military medical malpractice, Military Times, July 10, 2016
- When the Mother is a Soldier: Column, USA Today, November 27, 2015
- Military Family Presses Novel Gender-Bias Case Before the Supreme Court, National Law Journal, October 15, 2015
- Law prevents some family members from suing the military, Military Times, July 5, 2015
- Reproductive Malpractice and the Military, Huffington Post, July 4, 2015
- Court orders VA to pay stroke victim $21 million in malpractice case, Washington Post, April 15, 2015 (clients received $15,884,511.98 after attorneys’ fees and expenses)
- Is the Feres Doctrine fair? Stars and Stripes, June 19, 2011
Firm recognition
- Firm and partners featured on Austin’s Top Attorneys 2021 list in Austin Monthly.
- Whitehurst, Harkness, Brees, Cheng, Alsaffar, Higginbotham, and Jacob, PLLC are listed on the US News Best Law Firms List
- All partners and firm recognized as Austin’s Top Attorneys 2020 in Austin Monthly
- All partners named Super Lawyers in Texas Monthly by Thomson Reuters, September 8, 2015
Speaking engagements
- Michelle Cheng and Chip Brees Presented at the CATLA Luncheon on August 9, 2022
- Jamal Alsaffar presented at the 2021 Arkansas Trial Lawyer Association Annual Convention on taking effective Zoom depositions.
What Sets Us Apart
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PEER APPROVED
More attorneys named Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters in the “Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff” category in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, than any other law firm in Texas (Bill Whitehurst, Chip Brees, Michelle Cheng, Jamal Alsaffar, Laurie Higginbotham and Tom Jacob)
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RECORD-SETTING RESULTS NATIONWIDE
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TEXAS ROOTS
Founded in Austin with more than 50 years of trial experience.
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NATIONAL REACH
National results in complex personal injury litigation.
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DEEP BENCH
Many experienced lawyers ready to serve you.
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SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
Our team has multiple Spanish speaking staff members.