Andy Payne, Aviation Attorney in Dallas, Texas

Andrew Payne graduated at the top of his class in law school and started his career working for a prestigious international firm representing large insurers and corporations. But it did not take long for Andy to realize that he wanted to help people who had suffered harm through no fault of their own, not protect negligent corporations whose actions harmed people. Andy’s passion for handling significant personal injury cases stems from this desire to help people who truly need justice. And on a larger scale, together with his clients, Andy’s pursuit of these claims effects positive safety changes so that more families do not have to suffer. Through his work on his clients’ cases, products have been redesigned, policies changed and lives saved.

As an experienced and effective trial lawyer, Andy routinely handles significant, newsworthy personal injury cases across the country. He has been lead counsel on numerous aviation and product defect cases, commercial vehicle collisions, medical malpractice and other general personal injury matters.

Andy is double Board Certified in both Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and Civil Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He has been honored as an associate in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and he’s a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Induction in both organizations is by invitation only, and is limited to the top trial lawyers in the country who exhibit exemplary character, ethics and professional standards. Additionally, Andy was elected into the AIEG Board of Directors. AIEG is an organization of top trial lawyers who handle Product Liability and other complex cases throughout the country. These organizations are highly selective and only a small percentage of practicing lawyers are invited to join.

Andy is one of the few trial attorneys named repeatedly as one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” by D Magazine, as well as a Top 100 Lawyer in D/FW and a Top 100 Lawyer in Texas by Texas Monthly’s Super Lawyers. In addition, he has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® multiple times and has been named “Lawyer of the Year” (2015, 2019, 2021) by his peers in Product Liability Litigation/Plaintiffs in Dallas/Fort Worth. He has also earned Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating (AV) through a peer-review evaluation. Andy is licensed in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, but routinely handles complex litigation across the nation. He has successfully tried numerous cases to jury verdict in state and federal courts.

Andy’s drive to help people goes beyond his cases with his deep commitment to pro bono representation. Each year he represents several clients without charging a fee, as a way to give back and to make a difference where it is needed most. Moreover, his firm has been a cornerstone donor to Equal Access to Justice campaigns over the last decade. Through the years, Andy and his partner have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to help individuals in crisis obtain legal services and much-needed access to the justice system.

Andy serves on the State Bar Pattern Jury Charge Committee, which drafts form jury charges in products liability cases used by all trial courts in the State of Texas. He is also on the Board of Directors for the State Bar of Texas Litigation Council. He has served on the State Bar Grievance Committee and has chaired Personal Injury seminars for both the State Bar and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. A former Adjunct Professor of Products Liability at the SMU Dedman School of Law, Andy is a frequent lecturer at professional meetings both in Texas and nationally.

Outside of practicing law, Andy enjoys flying airplanes, riding dirt bikes, traveling and spending time with his wife and daughters.

NOTABLE RESULTS

• A Tarrant County jury returned a 16.3 million dollar verdict in favor of Plaintiff, Clarence Johnson, represented by Payne Mitchell Ramsey. The product liability case involved an air conditioning compressor and components designed and sold by Emerson Climate Technologies and Fusite. The defendants’ compressor failed, spewing pressurized hot flaming oil onto Mr. Johnson’s face, neck and torso. The case was tried in the 48th District Court of Tarrant County, the Honorable David Evans presiding. Clarence Johnson was represented by Andy Payne, Todd Ramsey and Stefanie Bradshaw of Payne Mitchell Ramsey.

• Andy Payne and Todd Ramsey received a significant settlement representing a family of Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against a commercial trucking company. A driver for the company had rear-ended a passenger car, injuring its driver and killing two passengers. Counsel for the Plaintiffs uncovered evidence of distracted driving on the part of the truck driver, which led to this $11 million policy limit settlement.

• Luis Marina, a passenger on a single engine aircraft, was killed when a failure in the fuel system allowed the engine to stall on a critical approach to landing. This prevented the pilot from reaching the airport, resulting in a crash landing and fatal injuries to both Mr. Marina and the pilot. Andy Payne litigated the case against the aircraft and engine manufacturers as well as several component part suppliers involved in the engine and fuel delivery systems. This case was pending in Washington State and was resolved for significant, confidential sums against all Defendants.

• Andy Payne, Todd Ramsey and Stefanie Bradshaw obtain a jury verdict of $2.6 Million in Komar v. Hiemsta where our client was severely injured when struck by a vehicle in a pedestrian crosswalk.

• Andy Payne represented a young woman who suffered numerous severe injuries when her Robinson R-44 helicopter crashed in a remote area near San Diego, California. Through his aggressive work, Andy was able to negotiate a significant confidential sum.

• Andy Payne represented executives of a major company who were seriously burned in a Canadian plant explosion. We were able to reconstruct the reason and extent of the explosion, which included poor decisions to save money, but with increase health risks. Andy received a significant confidential settlement for his clients and shut down a dangerous plant in the process.

• Andy Payne settled a modern day Ford Pinto Case. Most vehicles now have their gas tanks mounted between the axles so they are safe in collisions. Unfortunately, there are still a few models that have the defective design of placing the fuel tank behind the rear axle near the back bumper. In this position, the gas tank literally becomes a bomb when the vehicle is rear-ended. Payne Mitchell Ramsey resolved the second of three cases involving this terrible design. We hope our clients’ collective efforts will convince all automobile manufactures to abandon this dangerous design. We will continue to fight until they do.

• Andy Payne and Todd Ramsey received a jury verdict of over $3.6 million in Odessa against Williams and Advanced Stimulation Technologies, Inc. for their client who suffered severe head injuries from a car accident when a truck ran a red light.

AWARDS + HONORS

• American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow

• American Board of Trial Advocates, Associate

• Best Lawyers, D Magazine, 2008–present

• Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, Top 100 Lawyer in both DFW and Texas, 2013–present

• Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2003–present

• The Best Lawyers in America®, 2010–2023

• AV Preeminent (highest possible) Rating by Martindale-Hubbell

• The Best Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation/Plaintiffs, 2015, 2019, 2021

• AIEG, Board Member

• State Bar of Texas Litigation Council, Board Member

PUBLICATIONS + SPEECHES

• “Advanced Products Liability Update”, Advanced Personal Injury Seminar, State Bar of Texas

• "Proportionate Responsibility & Indemnity", Annual Litigation Update Institute, State Bar of Texas

• "Aviation Law Update", Texas Lawyer

• "Screening Automotive Products Liability Cases", Texas Trial Lawyers Association and Arkansas Association for Justice

• "Plaintiff's Jury Argument", Texas Trial Lawyers Association

• "Safety Issues with Sport Utility Vehicles", Texas Trial Lawyers Association

• "Attacking and Defending GARA: Competing Methods to Avoid and Uphold the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994", American Bar Association, Aviation Section

• "Does F.F.P. Operating Partners, L.P. v Duenez Effectively Kill Third Party Dram Shop Liability?", State Bar of Texas

• "FNC Update", American Bar Association, Aviation Section

• "Capturing, Creating and Presenting Persuasive Demonstrative Evidence", Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, State Bar of Texas

• "Defeating Daubert/Robinson Challenges", Texas Trial Lawyers Association

• Protecting Plaintiff's Experts from Daubert/Robinson", Texas Trial Lawyers Association

• "Building, Structuring and Financing Tomorrow's Products Liability Practice", Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention

• "Winning Deposition Strategies", Car Wreck Seminar, Texas Trial Lawyers Association

• "Comparative Causation and Indemnity", State Bar of Texas, Personal Injury Seminar

• "Products Liability: Where Are We Now?", State Bar of Texas, Litigation Section

• "Getting Money on the Table at Mediation", Dallas Trial Lawyers Association

• "Courtroom Technology – Not Star Wars, But Trench Wars", Advanced Personal Injury Course, Texas Trial Lawyers Association

BOARD CERTIFICATIONS

• Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

• Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy

PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT + LEADERSHIP

• State Bar Texas; Member and Former Board of Director

• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA); Associate

• American College of Trial Lawyers; Fellow

• AIEG National Board of Directors; Executive Committee Dallas Chapter

• American Association for Justice; Leaders Forum

• State Bar Pattern Jury Charge Committee

• State Bar Grievance Committee; Former Member

• Dallas Trial Lawyers Association; Director Emeritus

• Texas Bar Foundation; Member

• Dallas Bar Foundation; Member

• Texas Center for Legal Ethics & Professionalism

• Texas Trial Lawyers Association; Board of Directors

• Dallas Bar Association; Member and Former Board of Directors

• Andy is passionate about providing legal aid to those in need. Payne Mitchell Ramsey has provided significant financial support for various organization that serve the legal needs of the struggling community. In addition to financial support alone, Andy works hundreds of hours a year to provide pro bona legal service to clients in need.