Paul Cannon | Houston Personal Injury Lawyer

• Houston Dynamos Select Soccer Team Manager, U11 Girls Silver
  2013 - Present
• Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association Member
  2013 - Present
• PolicyMic Pundit
  2012 - Present
• Houston Trial Lawyers Association Member
  2009 - Present
• Christian Trial Lawyers Association Member
  2009 - Present
• South Texas College of Law Alumni Association Member
  1995 - Present

• Top Lawyers H Texas Magazine
  2013-2015 / 2017 / 2019
• Super Lawyer Thompson-Reuters
  2017-2019
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers National Trial Lawyers
  2017
• AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated Martindale-Hubbell
  2017
• Texas Super Lawyer Texas Super Lawyers Magazine by Texas Monthly
  2017
• Top 10 Blog Article Texas Bar Today
  2015
• Top Lawyer H Texas Magazine
  2013

A very nice woman took her granddaughter for a walk on the street she lived on. Her granddaughter was riding on her shoulders as she walked. They passed a house with a large iron gate around it when the electronic gate opened and a car drove out. Before the gate could close, three aggressive pitbulls and one smaller dog came running out of the gate and attacked her. She handed off the child to another person who ran with the child and she did her best to fight off the dogs until the person in the car, returned and chased the dogs back into the gate. After the attack the dogs were put down due to a history of attacks on other people. To add insult to injury, the owners went out and bought another pitbull for the yard. When she came to me, she was petrified to walk down her own street. We gave them a chance to do the right thing, but the dog owner's homeowner's insurance company refused to pay their policy limits to settle the claim. A lawsuit was filed. After taking the depositions of the prior victims of these poorly raised dogs and the negligent owners, we went to mediation. The evidence we had amassed against these grossly negligent dog owners was so great that not only did they pay us their policy limits, the owners agreed to a settlement that would require them to pay a fine of $100.00 a day if they ever again kept on their property any of the top five aggressive dog breeds. This settlement was not only a victory for my client, it was a result that a jury could not have awarded. I was able to negotiate for my client a result that brought her peace of mind and a sense of security so that she could again walk down her own street without fearing for her life.

One case at a time. First and foremost, you must listen to your client and see what it is they really want to gain from the case. Hiring a lawyer is scary for most people. As lawyers, it is easy to think solely in terms of ""what's it worth?"" In the end, all a jury can award is money. But, for many people, money isn't what it is really about. They want something more whether it be closure or an apology or to just be heard. I have built my practice by listening to the client and trying to obtain a result that gives them what they really want out of the case. Second, I am a competitor at heart. I hate losing. When I litigate a case, I pull out all the stops to try to obtain the best possible result for my client.

Look for a lawyer you can trust. You are navigating a world that is very different than anything you have ever experienced when you have to pursue a legal claim. Most people see their case as straight-forward. But in reality, very few cases ever rally are simple. Our legal system is complex and has a complex set of rules. You need someone who has the experience to navigate those rules that you can listen to with confidence in making your decisions. After all, the case is your case, not the lawyers. The decisions are yours to make with trusted advice of counsel. Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. has been a name trusted by Houstonians since the 1970's. I had the fortune to come to work her as a law clerk in 1994 and earn my way into a permanent position as a litigator even after I was told day 1: ""this is not a job with potential for advancement, we just need a clerk."" I am Certified in Personal Injury Trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2005 and I have recently been recognized by Texas Monthly Magazine's Super Lawyers Magazine as a Texas Super Lawyer.

Depends where the case is. I handle cases all over Texas when necessary. For cases here in Houston, it is nice that I have done the for 20 years and am familiar with all of the firms that represent the major insurance carriers. More importantly, they know me and my firm and they know we will try a case.

During the initial free consultation, our goal is to learn as much as we can about the case and determine how to best help the client. If it is a case within our area of practice, we then prefer to schedule the client in for a free face-to-face consultation. At both of these consultations we can discuss the legal issues that are faced and the claims process and well as give general advice on what to expect. We are also happy to answer questions the client may have and assist them to obtain the medical care they need.

We need to know the basics: What, Where, When, Who and Why the accident happened. From that, we can determine what documentation that you have that you can bring to our initial consultation.

The biggest difference is that we consider ourselves Christian Trial Lawyers. That doesn't mean we don't help people of other faiths, but it does mean that our goal is to serve our clients as we would serve our Lord himself. We strive to serve with honor, integrity and compassion. We are here to help people, not numbers.

As a trial lawyer, I have to admit that there is no better feeling than walking out of Court after having just obtained a favorable verdict for my client. But the majority of cases settle out of court. Luckily, knowing I took a bad situation for a client and helped them pick up the pieces and repair the damages is a reward I get to experience in the cases that settle as well.

Soccer. I love soccer. I hold season tickets for the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash. But my greatest soccer heroes are my kids. My son Zac plays select soccer as a goalie with the Cypress Dynamos. My daughter Sydney plays for the Cypress Dynamos as well as for the Olympic Development Program. Give me a soccer ball, some green space, and my two kiddos and I am the happiest man in the world. My wife is a former collegiate Tennis athlete but we have managed to convert her into the greatest soccer mom of all time!

Currently, I am the parent coach for both of my kid's soccer teams. My family attends Fairfield Baptist Church. As a law firm, Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. offer three college scholarship opportunities and we support a number of Charitable Events including the Wounded Warriors Project and Houston Buddy Walk to name a few.