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James G. Heckbert

James G. Heckbert

Senior Counsel

James G. Heckbert focuses his practice on claims involving personal injury and wrongful death, ski injuries, auto and truck collisions, construction site negligence, medical malpractice, gas explosions, and defective products.

In a distinguished career spanning four decades, Mr. Heckbert has secured eight jury verdicts in excess of $1 million. He has obtained numerous other settlements and judgments for amounts also exceeding $1 million.

Mr. Heckbert is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a select group of trial lawyers with multiple million-dollar verdicts and has also been voted a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” in Colorado by the National Trial Lawyers Association.[showhide] Due to the high profile nature of his practice, Mr. Heckbert’s cases have been the subject of two segments on the CBS television show 60 Minutes, while two others were the subjects of segments on ABC’s 20/20, and NBC’s Dateline television news magazines. Mr. Heckbert is named to both Colorado Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.

A native of Wooster, Ohio, Mr. Heckbert graduated first in his class from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, Ada, Ohio in 1974.

Notable Recoveries & Verdicts

  • Significant Verdicts as a Lead Attorney

      • $6.5 million verdict for a 10-year-old victim of pediatric medical malpractice. This case was the subject of a segment on NBC’s Dateline television program.
      • $4.9 million verdict for the victims of a natural gas explosion.
      • $3.675 million verdict for a motorcyclist injured due to a defective Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This case was the subject of a segment on CBS’s 60 Minutes television program.
      • $3.59 million verdict for a policeman mistakenly shot by a fellow policeman. This case was the subject of a segment on CBS’s 60 Minutes television program.
      • $3.1 million verdict for a motorist injured as a result of state’s failure to fence elk from the highway.
      • $3 million verdict for a motorist struck by semi-truck.
      • $2.6 million verdict for three family members struck by a semi-truck.
      • $2.4 million verdict for injuries received in a bicycle collision.
      • $2 million verdict for a patient injured as a result of surgical medical malpractice.
      • $1.2 million verdict for a child injured when semi-truck struck the auto in which the child was riding.
      • $885,000 verdict for failure to timely diagnose lung cancer.
      • $675,000 verdict for a victim of a defective artificial knee prosthesis.

  • Significant Settlements

      • $6.4 million settlement for an infant in pediatric medical malpractice case.
      • $4.3 million settlement for a patient in anesthesia medical malpractice case.
      • $2.9 million settlement for an infant in obstetrical medical malpractice case.
      • $2.8 million settlement for a patient in medical malpractice case.
      • $2.5 million settlement in truck collision death case.
      • $1.8 million settlement for two victims of a natural gas explosion.
      • $1.5 million settlement for injuries in construction site case.
      • $1.4 million settlement for a worker injured by exploding adhesive vapors.
      • $1.3 million settlement for a patient of anesthesia medical malpractice case.
    • Undisclosed settlement for victims of beryllium lung disease. This case was the subject of a segment of ABC’s 20/20 television program.

Honors & Accolades

  • Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year 2018,” Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Western Colorado
  • AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Selected to Colorado Super Lawyers®, 2013-2022
  • Selected to Best Lawyers® in America, 2014 and 2017-2025
  • Top 100 Attorney, The National Trial Lawyer
  • The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 2006
  • Arizona, 1974 (Retired)
  • U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 1974 (Retired)
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, 1998
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Education

  • J.D., 1974, Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law
    Honors: With High Distinction

Professional Affiliations

  • American Association for Justice (AAJ)
  • The National Trial Lawyers
  • Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA)

Community Involvement

  • Routt County Search & Rescue, former President and Board Member
  • Steamboat Arts Council, former Board Member
  • Historic Routt County, former Board Member

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