A. Craig Eiland | Attorney

Craig Eiland was born in 1962 to a family of small businessmen, farmers and ranchers in a small town in west Texas. He graduated from Stanton High School in 1981 where he was a multi-sport athlete. He then attended Baylor University where he lettered in football and graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1984. Craig continued his education at Baylor School of Law where he received his J.D. in 1987.

After receiving his law degree, Eiland traveled to Australia where he worked for a time on a cattle ranch in the Australian Outback. In February of 1988 Eiland moved back to Texas where he settled in Galveston and joined the law firm of Mills, Shirley, Eckel and Bassett, the state’s oldest law firm. After two years, he left the firm to work for nationally known Houston attorney Ernest H. Cannon. With the vast amount of experience and prospective Eiland gained from around the world and state he opened his own practice in 1992 with offices in Galveston and Houston.

Specializing in Commercial, Pharmaceutical, Personal Injury and Maritime Litigation Eiland’s practice has flourished. Eiland has obtained four jury verdicts in excess of $2 million dollars and numerous out of court settlements in excess of $1 million. Eiland's practice is not only successful but vast, handling complex cases in cities across the US and the world. Eiland represents clients in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, New York, California, Oklahoma, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington state and Washington, DC, as well as, international cases in Turkmenistan, England, Germany and Greece.
 
Among his many accomplishments are being named Young Lawyer of the Year in 1999 by the Baylor School of Law and being selected to join the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates. Eiland was also honored by becoming a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and American Association of Justice.

Eiland’s current pending cases include pharmaceutical litigation involving Fen Phen, PPA, FLSA cases against Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson’s Farms for not properly paying employees, Warsaw Convention litigation involving international aviation injuries, oil and gas royalties, insurance company breach of contract, and maritime litigation.

The following are examples of Eiland’s legal successes and dedication to his clients.

-$9,000,000 - Settlement for the Port of Galveston in a breach of contract for failure to develop Port property as represented. The Port received a $215,000 settlement offer after six months of negotiation prior to filing suit. The case eventually included some 80 defendants and 4 appeals but was resolved within 18 months of filing suit.

-$7,290,000 - Settlement after four days of trial on behalf of a family against 7 insurance companies, two agents and a law firm for breach of fiduciary duty and fraud in an estate planning case. The case included an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court, which Eiland=s side won.

-$4,740,026 - Jury verdict for boat yard worker who had hand partially amputated when sling broke causing a sail boat to fall on hand. Subsequent testing proved sling did not meet design or Aload standards@. Jury found sling was defectively designed, manufactured and marketed.

-$4,373,140 - Jury verdict for chemical plant worker exposed to chemicals from neighboring plant and developed occupational asthma and forced to leave $55,000 per year job. (The case was eventually overturned on appeal)

-$3,300,000 - Settlement for offshore worker (Halliburton employee) who underwent triple level back fusion for injuries suffered when a down hole pipe separated causing blow out. Proved that pipe was too brittle to be used and that pipe inspection company forged inspection records.

-$3,242,566 - Jury verdict for family of former Navy medic who was killed (survived for 14 days) while walking to his car when drunk driver lost control on a Houston, Texas street and veered into parking lot. Jury found that employer was negligent in hiring and entrusting vehicle to driver because of extensive bad driving and criminal record. Company failed to check background before giving take home company vehicle.

-$3,000,000 - (Cash and stock approximate value) Settlement for entrepreneur who lost control of company and patent when patent lawyer and accountant called secret meeting and removed the inventor as CEO and President of Company. Recovered all stock held by lawyer and accountant plus cash.

-$2,572,381 - Jury verdict for 15 year old orphan who was raped while in psychiatric hospital by two male patients ages 12 and 13. Proved inadequate staffing and observation of teenagers including one male who had previously demonstrated similar traits.

-$2,005,000 - Settlement for offshore floorhand who had foot crushed by power tongs. Proved power tongs failed to have a safety interlock device to prevent accidental engagement.

-$3,043,000 Settlement for two industrial workers ($1,988,167 & $1,054,833) who were burned over their arms and legs while working for their employer disposing of hazardous waste. This alteration of the contents of the waste caused a flash fire while mixing with water. Defendants included the chemical company for changing the properties of its waste by-products, the waste broker for failure to tell the employer of the changes in the waste when questioned and the equipment and air handling manufacturers for ineffective vapor removal. Through working with Rice University chemical engineering professor, proved that through a change in the manufacturing process, every 45th barrel of waste generated was almost pyrophoric. (case turned down by two prominent lawyers prior to Eiland=s involvement)

-$1,750,000 - Settlement for manual laborer/leased employee who was injured when he fell through an unbarricaded and unguarded hole in structure that was being demolished at a refinery while he was flagging a crane. Injuries included multiple facial fractures and closed head injury causing short term memory loss. Settlement included periodic payments for medical bills and monthly living expenses for life. Jefferson County

-$1,500,000 - Settlement for wife and child of tugboat deckhand who was killed in collision with tanker ship. Highest settlement of three seamen killed in the collision. Because of limits on recoveries for death of a seaman, settlement approached highest amount possible. Federal Court, Southern District of Texas, Galveston Division
 
-$1,300,000 - Settlement in a shareholder rights/breach of contract action on behalf of three of four 25% owners of regional distributorship of national product. Asserted claims of shareholder oppression and breach of contract when product manufacturer (and 25% owner) decided to distribute product nationally and refused to supply any more product and claimed a right to do so. Case settled Friday before Monday trial, previous offer was $600,000.

-$1,330,000 - Settlement for widow and two children who lost their husband/father when the trencher he was driving hit an alleged unmarked gas pipeline, which resulted in explosion and burns resulting in death. The case had ben litigated for 7 years prior to Eiland's hiring, the case was promptly set for trial, and after defeating motions for summary judgment settled at mediation.

-$1,000,050 - Settlement for Abrownwater@ maritime worker who injured back, requiring back surgery, after falling on compressor barge. Proved compressor barge was negligently designed or maintained and company knew of oil spraying over deck of barge.