Overview
Education
Practice Areas
Experience
Overview
Janet Hansen has spent most of her legal career representing persons who have been injured by the wrongful acts of others. Her career began with briefing attorney and legal research experience at the Texas Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Later, as an associate in the firm of Jamail & Kolius for 30 years, she prepared and tried cases alongside the undisputed King of Torts, Joe Jamail. These experiences developed the organizational and intellectual skills necessary to investigate, develop, prepare and present even the most complex case for trial.
Ms. Hansen opened her own office in January 2013 to continue to offer her services in the field of tort litigation to injured persons and their families. She is also available to consult with other attorneys in the discovery and trial phases of personal injury cases. Her experience has involved cases with catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful death – those caused by defective products, drugs and medical devices, pipeline and chemical plant explosions, serious motorcycle and trucking accidents, defective automobiles and many others. Over the years, Ms. Hansen has worked with and against the top lawyers in the field of personal injury and has earned their respect as an efficient, organized, smart opponent.
Ms. Hansen sincerely believes that those harmed by the wrongful acts of others have the right to receive justice and to be rightfully compensation for their monetary losses as well as the emotional pain and suffering caused by the wrongful conduct.
Education
I am proud to be a lawyer in the State of Texas where I have been licensed since 1977. You will not see my face on any Houston billboards nor will you find my name and phone number in a magazine or newspaper advertisement. When I was first sworn in as a young lawyer, I promised to represent my clients to the best of my abilities and to be honest and truthful in my dealings as a lawyer. I took that promise very seriously. As a young briefing attorney in the state and federal courts in Houston, I studied and learned, for four years from some of the most respected jurists in Texas history – Judge Tom Coleman, Judge Phil Peden and Judge George Cire. As a young practicing lawyer, I appeared before many other judges whose legacies are with me every day: Judge Ruby Sondock, Judge Alice Oliver Parrott, Judge Tom Stovall, and many, many others. Their teachings and confidence in me enabled me to become the lawyer I am today.
Practice Areas
In 1983, I went to work with Joe Jamail and worked alongside him for the next 30 years. Even after I opened my own law office, I continued to work with Joe on personal injury cases and we tried a trucking accident case together in Beaumont when he was 89 years old. His death at the age of 90 left a huge void in my life and in the legal profession as a whole. I am proud to continue to do the work that we did together on a daily basis for so many years.
I have prepared and tried many types of personal injury lawsuits: refinery explosions, trucking accidents, medical malpractice, products liability and defective medical products. Each case is unique and each client’s story is unique and must be presented to a jury in a way that best tells the injured person’s story. Meticulous investigation and attention to detail are paramount. Mr. Jamail was famous for saying that “if you are not emotionally involved with your client, your client is not getting your best effort”. I intend to honor his legacy in the way I practice law now and in the future.
Experience
I do not handle a large caseload. I do not handle mass torts or class actions. I feel that my talents are best used by representing one person and one family when they have been wronged by the negligence and carelessness of others.
When you call me, I answer my own phone. If I am unable to answer the phone at the moment you call, I will promptly return your call. If you or a family member have been harmed by the negligence of another person or company, I will listen to the facts, give you the best advice I can, and represent you if a valid cause of action exists under Texas law to compensate you for your losses.
I am also available to other lawyers who may need assistance with a particularly large or document intensive lawsuit. I find organization and details to be challenging and rewarding. I have worked on every aspect and detail of tort litigation from investigation to appeal. I believe in preparation and thoroughness, and I believe in hard work.
Practicing law does not leave much time for hobbies or personal endeavors but throughout the years that I have practiced law, I have enjoyed working in theater. For over 25 years I worked with a non-profit, community theater in Southwest Houston, The Company OnStage. There I served on the board of directors as President and Treasurer, directed, stage-managed and acted in many plays and musicals, and enjoyed the camaraderie that theater brings when you work with others to prepare a production. Many of the organizational skills that I needed to prepare a case for trial were helpful to me in preparing a play to open to an audience. I especially enjoyed working on and acting in plays for children.