John O'Quinn, named as one of the Five Best Texas Trial Lawyers of the Past Century, died this morning in a car accident. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6692411.html Prominent Houston attorney John O'Quinn was one of two men who died this morning when their speeding SUV slammed into a tree on Allen Parkway after the driver apparently lost control, police said. "I'm stunned. The community lost one of its biggest assets," said Rick Laminack, who worked with O'Quinn from 1987 until 2006. "He was a great lawyer who shared a lot of his wealth with people who needed help." It wasn't immediately clear whether O'Quinn or the other, still-unidentified victim was driving. Around 8 a.m., the driver of a black Suburban heading west in the 1900 block of the parkway just west of downtown Houston skidded across the median, oncoming lanes and another median before the vehicle slammed into a tree, which was uprooted, said Houston police Lt. L.J. Satterwhite. Houston police said the SUV was "traveling at a high rate of speed." Roads were slick at the time and scattered drizzly conditions were in the area. O'Quinn and the other victim were dead at the scene inside the mangled SUV, which ended up along the service road that runs along the south side of Allen Parkway. Workers had to chop down and remove the tree before towing off the Suburban. O'Quinn, who made his fortune largely in personal injury cases, most notably in successful breast implant cases in the early 1990s, was a local philantrhopist. He gave money to the Harris County Children's Assessment Center, the Houston Council on Alcohol and Drugs and various Texas Medical Center institutions including St. Luke's Hospital, which has a tower bearing his name.. The football field at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium also is named for O'Quinn, a big UH supporter. "Big man, big loss," Laminack said. He also was a prolific giver to Democratic Party candidates. In the 2006 governor's race, he was the single biggest donor to Democratic nominee Chris Bell's unsuccessful campaign to unseat Republican Gov. Rick Perry. O'Quinn gave Bell $2.5 million. O'Quinn gave more than $200,000 to Democratic candidates last year, and he donated $4,800 to Houston Mayor Bill White's U.S. Senate campaign. If you went to law school in Houston, this is a name you have heard before. The UH Law Library is named after him as is the field at Robertson Stadium. Notable cases include: * $1 billion verdict in 2006 against Wyeth Laboratory for its diet drug, fen-phen * $17.3 billion tobacco settlement for the state of Texas * $100 million for silicone breast implants made by Dow Corning In total, O'Quinn is estimated to have won $1.5 billion for the firm of O'Quinn & Laminack, formerly The O'Quinn Law Firm, of Houston, Texas. According to a 2006 article in Forbes, O'Quinn's own firm had pending cases against stock brokers and hedge funds for shorting the shares of weak companies, and against Ford for rollover accidents caused by the Ford Explorer. In the past decade, O'Quinn won, through settlement or verdicts, more than $20 billion for his clients. Honors and Awards: Named One of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America", National Law Journal Named Among the Five Best Texas Trial Lawyers of the Past Century, Houston Chronicle Named One of the 100 Legal Legends of Texas, Texas Lawyer Recognized in Harvard Law's Best Lawyers in America Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, University of Houston, College of Law, 1996 Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Houston Generally, 1993
I was just about to post this. A few people I work with knew him. I hadn't heard of him, but very sad nonetheless.
I had already heard about this from a houston based fb friend, and it sounds like Houston lost a great attorney and citizen...
Speeding from River Oaks to Downtown in wet weather is r****ded. That road curves all over the place. I guarantee that truck hydroplaned right into that tree. All avoided if the driver had been more cautious. Hopefully this can serve as reminder for folks that think they're awesome drivers.
Oh my god. That was them? I was going to post this earlier this morning. I was on Allen parkway this morning. Their suv was off the ground and on top of the tree. It was right by khou's studio.
I drove by the accident at about 9:00am this morning. Curiously, Allen Parkway was at a standstill. I figured there was a wreck. I went under Montrose and up the hill and saw a fire truck, an ambulance, and 10-15 police cars, along with tree cutters. When I passed the wreck, I could clearly see an SUV had hit a tree and was resting on the uprooted portion of it. Quite a sight to see. Too bad there were casualties, though.
Still, if you're going 5 over on Allen Parkway, you're going 45 mph. A collision with a tree should be survivable in a luxury SUV with airbags and seatbelts. Obviously they were going faster than 45 and not wearing seatbelts. You really have to be trying to kill yourself on Allen Parkway.
Man, that’s senseless and sad. I must have just missed this – my bus drives right down that part of Allen Parkway at about 7:30 every morning. Cars are always flying by us like we’re not even moving. Like others have said, that is a tricky road to drive. You’re tempted to go fast because, going west, there are no lights from downtown to River Oaks, but those curves really sneak up on you if you’re not familiar with the road. Still, you would have to really be hauling ass to do anything more than just run off the road. To take out a tree and have 2 fatalities….I mean, how fast were they going?
I work in the building his firm is located in. He has a personal driver that takes him from our building to the court house (about 4 blocks away)...I guess he's the other guy in this accident.
RIP.. Crazy I was on Allen Parkway around 8 going to UH, I never get on Allen Parkway but for some reason I did today...
i was gonna post this here around 11, like i did on Facebook, but wasn't sure if anyone here knew who he was. everyone in the civil courthouse found out then, and the news outlets didn't start reporting any details till around 11:35 (we were all furiously scouring the web for more details). one guy who had gotten cut off by the suburban said that he was driving 50 and the vehicle sped by him as if he was sitting still - and that he saw the driver hit the curbs after he failed to recover from a triple lane change. apparently this was at the curviest part of Allen Parkway. not smart. the dude was talented (i graduated from UH Law and met him a few times), but there's a lot of other [bad] stuff about him that people aren't saying right now, out of respect for his passing. it's a tragic story any way you cut it.
Me too....i saw all that. Then I saw the car and I just knew nobody survived that crash. it was breathtaking but sad none the less.
I was on Allen Parkway at that time too. There were too many police cars for some reason. So I figured it was something real huge, and then saw one car on top of the tree.
www.uh.edu Remembering John O'Quinn My friends in the UH community: It is with deep regret and sadness that I inform you that the University of Houston has lost one of its most dedicated and passionate supporters. John O'Quinn died this morning, reportedly in a one-car accident on Allen Parkway, near downtown Houston. O'Quinn, a noted attorney and UH Law School alumnus, served on our UH System Board of Regents from 1993 to 1999, holding the office of vice chairman from 1994-96. He worked tirelessly in behalf of this university and was one of its most generous financial contributors. The O'Quinn Law Library and O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium are the most prominent examples of his philanthropy at UH but are by no means the extent of it. Over the years, he made numerous gifts, including significant donations to the UH Library and to the Cougar Marching Band. A good deal of this school's success can be credited to John's unflagging commitment to making UH a better institution. On a personal note, I saw John recently, visiting with him at our homecoming football game against SMU. He was filled with his usual Cougar spirit and enthusiasm. The team's triumph, plus our national ranking, only added to his excitement. I am glad to have that wonderful memory of an exuberant John, reveling in the victory. But, win or lose, John was always unwavering in his support of the team and this university. Our campus mourns the loss of one of its most devoted friends and benefactors. Renu Khator
