Paula Fisetta Sweeney

Paula Sweeney

Slack Davis Sanger, L.L.P.
Partner

 

 

Paula Fisette Sweeney practiced in Dallas with her partner John Howie for 22 years, until his untimely death, at the firm Howie & Sweeney, which they founded. She is now happily Partner in the Dallas office of Slack Davis Sanger, L.L.P., continuing to practice in her traditional area of health care liability, but also working on other complex medical, products, and traumatic injury cases.

Paula Sweeney - Medical Malpractice Attorney (left facing)

She is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and has been a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers. She is Past President of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association (1998), the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association (1991), and ABOTA-Dallas (2000) and previously served as a Governor of The Association of Trial Lawyers of America and on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas. She served for 15 years on the Supreme Court Rules Advisory Committee and has also served on the Supreme Court Task Force on Medical Malpractice Discovery and the Supreme Court Task Force on The Jury Charge, and chaired the Chief Justice's Task Force on Judicial Selection. Honors include: “Champion of Justice Award” from Texas Watch, 2022, the Don Bowen Distinguished Lifetime Service Award from TTLA in 2022, recognition in 2013 by the Dallas Bar Association as its Trial Lawyer of the Year, being named a Legend of Trial Law by the DBA in 2012, receipt of the State Bar of Texas’ prestigious Gene Cavin Award for lifetime achievement in supporting Continuing Legal Education in Texas in 2019, Texas Nurses’ Association Health Care Professional of the Year award, Alumna of Distinction from the University of Dallas, D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas, every year since 2001, Texas Monthly’s Super Lawyers every year since 2003, and Texas Lawyers’ “Extraordinary Women in Texas Law” (2008) and Top 50 Women Lawyers in Texas (2009) and Best Lawyers in America (since 1995). Paula was recognized by D Magazine in the 2024 Women of Influence Issue.

Education

Certifications

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

Professional Associations

  • American Board of Trial Advocates — Dallas Chapter, President (2000)
  • Texas Trial Lawyers Association, President (1998)
  • State Bar of Texas, Director (1992–1995)
  • State Bar of Montana (2016-present)
  • Dallas Trial Lawyers Association, President (1991)
  • American Association for Justice, Governor (1990–1992)
  • American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers (2006-2021)
  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
  • International Society of Barristers ( 2010-2021)

Honors & Awards

  • D Magazine Women of Influence Issue, 2024
  • Texas Watch’s Champions of Justice Award
  • TTLA 2021 Don Bowen Distinguished Service Award
  • Trial Lawyer of the Year, Dallas Bar Association, 2013
  • Dallas Bar Association Legend of Trial Law, 2012
  • The State Bar of Texas Gene Calvin Award for Lifetime Achievement, 2009
  • Extraordinary Women in Texas Law, Texas Lawyer, 2008
  • Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers, 2001-present
  • The Best Lawyers in America® BL Rankings, 1995-present
  • Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2001-present
  • University of Dallas Alumna of Distinction
  • Common Cause Texas Defender of Democracy Award, 2003
  • AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, 1986-present

Recent Publications

 

  • “Case Law Update,” State Bar of Texas Advanced Medical Torts, Santa Fe, NM, March 2024
  • “Cross Examination,” State Bar of Texas, Advanced Trial Strategies, New Orleans, February 2024
  • “Overcoming the Problem Witness,” UT School of Law 2023 Car Crash Seminar, Austin, June 2023
  • “Case Law Update,” State Bar of Texas, Advanced Medical Torts, San Antonio, March 2023
  • "Case Law Update," State Bar of Texas Advanced Medical Malpractice Seminar, Santa Fe, NM, March 2022
  • "Case Law Update," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Annual Meeting, November 2021
  • "Healthcare Liability Update," State Bar of Texas, Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, Summer 2021
  • "Winning at Deposition, Overcoming the Problem Witness," University of Texas Law CLE, April 2021
  • "Case Law Update," Virtual Seminar, State Bar of Texas, Advanced Healthcare Liability Seminar, March 2021
  • "Preparing for Virtual Trials," Virtual Seminar, State Bar of Texas, Advanced Trial Strategies," February 2021
  • "Presenting Complex Evidence" (State Bar of Texas [SBOT] Advanced Trial Skills Course, 2020)
  • "What you Absolutely, Positively Gotta Know About Ch 74," Texas Trial Lawyers Annual Meeting, November 2020
  • "Simplifying Complex Evidence," State Bar of Texas, Advanced Trial Strategies Panel, February 2020
  • "7 Med Mal Mega Trends," Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Annual Meeting, November 2019
  • "Healthcare Liability Update," State Bar of Texas, Advanced Personal Injury Course, Summer 2019
  • "Case Law Update," State Bar of Texas Advanced Health Care Liability Seminar, March 2019
  • "The Intersection of Litigation and Gender," Dallas Women Lawyers Association, March 2019
  • "Cross Examination," State Bar of Texas Advanced Trial Strategies, Course Co-Director and Speaker, February 2019
  • "Trends in Health Care Liability Litigation" (Texas Trial Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, 2019)
  • "Cross Examination of Hostile Witnesses"(SBOT, 2014–present)
  • "Statute of Limitations Under Chapter 74," Texas Trial Lawyers Association Annual Meeting, Medical Malpractice Seminar, December 2018
  • "Saving the Jury Trial," Panel, Dallas Bar Association, November 2018
  • "Deposing the Difficult Witness," State Bar of Texas, Advanced Evidence & Discovery Seminar, Summer 2018
  • "Health Care Liability Case Law Update," State Bar of Texas, Advanced Medical Malpractice Seminar, March 2018
  • "Jurors by Generation," State Bar of Texas Advanced Trial Skills Seminar Panelist, New Orleans, February 2018
  • "Personal Injury Damages," State Bar of Texas, Damages in Civil Litigation Seminar, February 2018
  • "Women and the Law," State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting (Dallas) Panelist, June 2017
  • "Cross Examination of the Technical, Difficult or Uncooperative Witness" (SBOT, 2016)
  • "The Perfect Storm: Strategies for Difficult Witnesses" (SBOT panel presentation, 2016)
  • "Preparation and Trial of Medical Malpractice and Pharmacy Products Cases" (Montana Trial Lawyers Association Annual Summer Convention, 2015)
  • "Making and Responding to Daubert Challenges — Perspectives from a Civil Lawyer" (SBOT, Advanced Criminal Law Course - 2015)
  • "Trial Lawyer Tips, Techniques and Observations By and For Women Litigators" (Dallas Trial Lawyers Association, 2015)
  • "Advanced Settlement — Why Your Case Won’t Settle" (SBOT, 2015)
  • "Complex Evidence" (SBOT, 2015)
  • "Complex Litigation" (University of Montana School of Law, 2014)
  • "Women in the Courtroom" (Dallas Bar Association Tort & Insurance Practice Section, 2014)
  • "Dealing with the Difficult Attorney" (Dallas Bar Association Judiciary Committee Panel Discussion, 2014)
  • "Cross Examination of the Difficult Witness" (SBOT Annual Meeting, 2014)
  • "Medical Malpractice Update: Themes and Mega-Trends" (SBOT, 2014)
  • "Strategies for Dealing with Difficult Witnesses" (SBOT, 2014)
  • "ABOTA Masters in Trial — Cutting Edge Cross Examination" (SBOT 30th Annual Litigation Update Institute, 2014)
  • "Cross Examination" (Texas Trial Lawyers Association [TTLA} Advanced PI Seminar, 2013)
  • "Tales From the Crypt" (TTLA Legends CLE, 2013)

Notable

Cases

Negligently Prescribed Medication Causes Harm to Baby

A young woman was improperly prescribed a dangerous teratogenic (which causes birth injuries) drug for a minor condition. Unknown to her, the drug’s effects persist in the system for up to three years, and although this effect is not well known to the public, it is or should be well known to prescribing physicians and…

Case Details

Severe Brain Injury During Elective Surgery

A young man having elective surgery never recovered from the brain damage caused by surgical and anesthesia negligence, poor hospital staffing and training and dangerous surgical products. The surgeon, using a robotic assistive device, made an inadvertent hole into the chest cavity, which he did not detect. This led to the collapse of the lung…

Case Details

18-Wheeler Traveling in Wrong Lane Results in Liability Lawsuit

Slack Davis Sanger recently resolved a case involving the wrongful death of a 22-year-old young man who died as a result of a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler that was traveling in the wrong lane in West Texas. The case settled for the policy limit of liability of the trucking company that owned the truck…

Case Details

Downed Power Line Results in Electrical Burn Injuries to a Child

Slack Davis Sanger recently successfully resolved a case involving serious electrical burn injuries to a 6-year-old Navajo boy living on Navajo tribal lands in the Four Corners area of Utah. Texas-based oil companies operated an oil field adjacent to the boy’s home. An electrical power pole supplying power to the field rotted and fell over,…

Case Details

First Officer’s Improper Rudder Use Results in Commercial Airplane Crash Lawsuit

Case Title: American Airlines Flight 587 On November 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587, flying from JFK International Airport, New York to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, crashed into the Belle Harbor neighborhood in Queens, New York. All 260 people on board died (251 passengers, nine crew members), along with five people on the ground. It…

Case Details

Inadequate Safety Guards and Safety Training Lead to Cotton Gin Worker Losing His Leg

Case title: Damon Wilson v. PPF Gin & Warehouse, LLC; Lummus Corporation; Ram Manufacturing Company; and Stover Equipment Co., Inc.; Cause No. 11248 in the 62nd Judicial District Court of Delta County, Texas. Mitch McCrea represented Damon Wilson, a recently-hired cotton gin laborer, who lost his leg when his supervisors asked him to climb onto the…

Case Details

Inadequate 18-Wheeler Brakes Lead to Wrongful Death Case

Case Title: Duckworth v. Clayton Homes Mitch McCrea represented the surviving family of Dickie Duckworth who was killed when another 18-wheeler hauling a Clayton manufactured home crossed the center line and crashed into him head-on on U.S. 79 in Anderson County, Texas.  During the course of discovery, we learned that only one of the axles…

Case Details

Discriminatory Auto Insurance Rates Result in Significant Settlement

Case title: Grigson, et al. v. Farmers Group, Inc. (W.D. Tex.) In 2017, Charles Grigson filed a class action lawsuit against Farmers Insurance Group, Inc. alleging discriminatory rates. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of all Farmers auto insurance customers in the state of Texas who were policyholders in the Farmers Auto 2.0 (FA2) book.…

Case Details

Malfunctioning Power Swivel Unit Results in Catastrophic Personal Injury Lawsuit

Case Title: Murphy v. Excel Site Rentals, LLC On November 11, 2017, an employee of Consolidated Well Services LLC was working as a floor hand on the Yoder 2-H well site in Bradford Country, Pennsylvania. A power swivel unit owned and operated by Excel Site Rentals, LLC rotated unintentionally as the worker reached to release…

Case Details

Defective Product Results in Dallas Workplace Injury Lawsuit

Case Title: Meyer v. Cooper Industries, et al Workplace injuries suffered due to negligence or faulty tools can tragically and permanently change the lives of an employee and their family, as happened to elevator technician Michael Meyer just days before Christmas 2018. A Debilitating On-the-Job Injury Meyer lost the use of his right arm, suffered…

Case Details