How we handle your case
When you hire us as your lawyers, we get to work that day. Here is our approach to every case:
Your lawyer is responsible for the case
When you hire VB Attorneys, you work with an experienced trial lawyer. Brian or Vuk is personally involved, and the firm’s team supports the work.
Paralegals and staff help keep the work organized and moving. Your lawyer is responsible for legal analysis, preparation, and advice. You can speak directly with the lawyer handling your case.
Your lawyer decides what evidence to pursue, questions witnesses, evaluates expert opinions, and advises you about offers. You can ask your lawyer to explain those decisions.
We investigate beyond the incident report
An incident report is a starting point. The important questions may concern what happened before the incident, who knew about a condition, what equipment had been changed, and whether the records support the first explanation.
In the Rebekah winch case, a tug engineer suffered a partial foot amputation. Brian’s investigation examined the tow wire’s specifications, changes to the winch, a missing guard, and prior repair recommendations. Witness testimony addressed the absence of a job safety analysis.
The work also included a court order preserving an opportunity for expert inspection and litigation in two federal proceedings in which the companies sought to limit their financial liability. The case resolved through Confidential Settlement in November 2025.
That investigation addressed concrete questions: Did the wire match the equipment? Why was the guard missing? Who was responsible for planning the work?
We develop evidence that can be tested
An expert opinion needs a factual foundation. A witness’s explanation needs to be compared with the records. A document needs to be understood in context.
In the M/V Excellence case, the preparation included biomechanical testing using a 3D-printed foot to examine the protection safety-toe footwear would have provided. The trial team also used the vessel’s medical log, a Coast Guard casualty report, and company emails.
The testing addressed a concrete question: would the missing safety-toe footwear have protected his foot? The records allowed the trial team to examine what the company knew and how it responded.
The right investigation depends on the case. A truck collision may call for electronic data and driver records. A machinery injury may require inspection and engineering analysis. A maritime case may require vessel records and a careful examination of decisions made aboard.
We examine how the injury changes your future
We document your medical bills, future treatment, lost income, and other effects of the injury.
Depending on the injury, the questions may include future treatment, the ability to return to work, help needed at home, and the effect on ordinary daily activities. Those issues need support from medical evidence and, where appropriate, specialists who can evaluate future care and financial loss.
In the $29,920,310 brain injury case, the work addressed future medical needs as well as the cause of the collision. The $10 Million towboat captain’s case likewise required attention to care over a lifetime.
We compare each offer with the losses the evidence supports, including future care and lost earnings.
We prepare for settlement and trial
We prepare your case for trial and evaluate Settlement offers with you.
Our record includes both kinds of work. The towboat captain’s case resolved through a $10 Million Settlement after further preparation and negotiation. The refinery rigger’s case went to a jury, which returned a $44,370,000 Verdict.
Preparing for court involves examining witnesses, testing expert opinions, organizing documents, and working through the weaknesses as well as the strengths of the case. We use that work to evaluate the offers you receive.
You decide
We give you the information, analysis, and our recommendation so you can decide what to do. You decide whether to accept a Settlement or continue the case, and we will never force you to do something you do not want to do.
What a billboard cannot tell you
A billboard can make a lawyer’s name familiar. Choosing a lawyer requires answers about the work that will happen after you hire the firm.
Who will handle your case? Can you speak directly with that lawyer? What cases has the lawyer taken to a jury? What investigation did a comparable case require? What will happen if the first explanation turns out to be incomplete?
Vuk’s trial record includes the refinery rigger, ironworker, and M/V Excellence Verdicts. Brian’s cases include Johnny Harris, the towboat captain, the Maersk Alabama crew, and the Rebekah winch injury. Brian and Vuk co-led the distracted-driving brain injury case.
Our limited caseload supports the time required for investigation, preparation, and direct communication. Read our case results and client testimonials. Then ask us who will handle your case and how we will prepare it.
Ask us those questions. Ask about the difficult parts of your case, too. A useful answer should address the facts, the work ahead, and the issues that still need to be resolved.
The lawyers behind the work
Brian Beckcom
Brian has been one of the nation’s leading trial lawyers in personal injury and wrongful death for over two decades. He holds degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy from Texas A&M University and graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law.
At Texas Law, he served as Chief Notes Editor of the Texas Law Review and worked as a research assistant to Professor Charles Alan Wright. He studied admiralty and maritime law under Professor David W. Robertson, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on maritime law.
Before representing injured people and families, Brian worked at Fulbright & Jaworski. His practice now includes personal injury, wrongful death, trucking, industrial, and maritime cases.
Read Brian Beckcom’s full biography.
Vuk Vujasinovic
Vuk graduated with honors in finance from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his law degree at the University of Houston Law Center, where he served as an editor of the Houston Law Review.
Before co-founding VB Attorneys with Brian, he worked at Shook, Hardy & Bacon, representing corporate defendants. His plaintiff-side trial record includes the wrongful death Verdicts and Washington maritime Verdict described above.
His experience includes presenting cases involving industrial work, commercial vehicles, and vessel injuries to juries. A federal court appointed Vuk as Lead Counsel in the Hurricane Harvey takings litigation.
Read Vuk Vujasinovic’s full biography.
Board Certification - A Credential You Cannot Buy
Brian and Vuk are both Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
The certification program evaluates relevant experience and requires qualifying references, continuing education, and a specialty examination. You can review the program and search for certified lawyers through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
The cases we handle
Our practice focuses on injuries and wrongful death. We represent people whose cases require investigation of what happened, who was responsible, and how the consequences should be addressed.
The firm’s work includes:
- Personal injuries, including brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, burns, and amputations.
- Wrongful death, including deaths involving industrial work, commercial vehicles, and vessels.
- Maritime and Jones Act injuries, involving seamen, offshore work, tugboats, and other commercial vessels.
- Truck collisions and transportation cases.
- Industrial explosions and accidents and oilfield injuries.
The firm is based in Houston. Our work extends across Texas and includes cases in other states. The Washington Verdict and Maersk Alabama litigation are examples of that reach.
You do not need to decide how to classify your injuries before contacting us. Tell us what happened, and we can evaluate whether the matter fits our practice.
What happens when you contact us
The first conversation is free. We ask about what happened, your injuries or loss, the people or companies involved, and any information you already have.
You can tell us what you know without supplying an explanation for every unanswered question. Part of evaluating the case is identifying what needs to be investigated.
We will explain whether the matter is one we can consider and what additional information may be needed. If it is outside our practice, we will tell you. When we can identify an appropriate referral, we can help point you in that direction.
If we agree to represent you, we explain the fee arrangement and the next steps. Our cases are handled on a contingency fee: the attorney’s fee depends on obtaining a financial result. We advance case expenses. The written agreement explains the fee and expense terms.