Mr. Frantz’s experience includes litigating catastrophic injury claims, tractor-trailer collisions, amusement park accidents, products liability, motorcycle and automobile collisions, aviation accidents, fire and explosion related injury and wrongful death claims, mass transit accidents, construction accidents, industrial accidents, complex business disputes, class actions and mass torts. Mr. Frantz currently serves on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the Porter Ranch Gas Leak litigation which is the largest mass tort litigation in U.S. history.
ACHIEVING LANDMARK COURT VICTORIES
Mr. Frantz and co-counsel have put their trial-tested representation and unmatched experience to work, securing landmark verdicts and settlements, including:
A recent $55.4 million jury verdict awarded to the families of four marines who were killed as a result of the negligence of San Diego Gas & Electric Utility*
A professional negligence jury verdict of $223 million*, which is the second largest jury verdict in San Diego County history
A class action verdict of $18 million* – Mr. Frantz’s expertise was sought by Congress where he was requested to testify as a product liability expert with respect to litigation against a product manufacturer in which he (along with co-counsel) recovered an $18.5 million verdict.
AWARD-WINNING REPRESENTATION WORKING FOR YOU
The San Diego Daily Transcript has honored Mr. Frantz as one of the Top 10 Attorneys. Mr. Frantz has been nominated for Top Attorneys in the insurance and personal injury category 2010 – 2015. Mr. Frantz has been honored as a Super Lawyer for eight consecutive years, 2008-2015, and has been honored in the Best Lawyers of America for 6 years.
Mr. Frantz is a cum laude graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara and graduate of Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He represented the San Diego County Bar Association as a Delegate to the State Bar of California and has qualified to serve as a Special Master by the State Bar of California for the past 30 years. He has been an Arbitrator for 30 years. He is a Master of the William B. Enright Chapter of the American Inns of Court.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Personal Injury
Wildfire Litigation/Public Utility Regulation
Complex Business Litigation
Professional Negligence
Mass Torts / Class Actions
EDUCATION
Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, California
Juris Doctor – 1979
University of California, Santa Barbara, California
B.A., Bachelor of Arts cum laude – 1975
Major: Political Science
HONORS & RECOGNITION
One of the largest Southern California jury verdicts for an individual client ($223 million)
Largest San Diego verdict against drug manufacturer ($18.5 million)
Largest helicopter aviation jury verdict in U.S. history against Utility Corporation ($55.4 million)
San Diego Daily Transcript’s Top 10 Attorneys
San Diego Daily Transcript’s Top 100 Attorneys, 2005 – 2006
Outstanding California Trial Lawyers nomination, 2003 – Present
Super Lawyers, 2008 – 2017
Best Lawyers of America, 2010 – 2017
AV Preeminent* by Martindale Hubbell, 2012 – 2015
Top Lawyers in San Diego by San Diego Magazine, 2012 – 2015
Best California Trial Attorneys by Best Lawyers, 2012 – Present
Tier 1 ranking for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Plaintiffs by U.S. News
Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” Rankings, 2010 – 2018
Top Attorneys in San Diego by The New York Times & Los Angeles Magazine, 2013 – Present
San Diego’s Top Attorneys by Best Lawyers, 2013 – Present
Top 100 Verdicts in the Nation for 2008
San Diego County Top Attorneys, 2012 – Present
Top Attorneys by Best Lawyers, 2013 – 2017
Nominated for Top Attorneys 2015 in the Academic practice category
BAR ADMISSIONS
California, 1979
U.S. District Court Southern District of California
U.S. Tax Court
U.S. District Court Central District of California
ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
American Bar Association, (20 year member of the Tort, Trial & Insurance Sections)
San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA)
American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC)
Consumer Attorneys of San Diego (CASD)
American Association for Justice (AAJ)
Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America
Master, William B. Enright Chapter of The American Inns of Court (EIOC)
State Bar of California, Delegate
State Bar of California, Special Master
Superior Court, Arbitrator, 1982 – Present
James P. Frantz, is also a proud sponsor of Impact Teen Drivers. Since 2007, Impact Teen Drivers has emerged as a leading non-profit organization dedicated to reversing this pervasive yet 100% preventable crisis. Impact’s mission is to change the culture of driving forever thereby saving lives not only in this generation of drivers, but also in all future generations of drivers.
Impact Teen Drivers endeavors to do this through a nationwide educational program that confronts the dangers and consequences of reckless and distracted driving. With manifold free online materials, and direct training available, its unique grassroots framework empowers people to make meaningful behavioral changes in their own driving habits, as well as to promote safe driving in their community.
Distracted and reckless driving is a multifaceted public health crisis that requires a multi-faceted response, so while Impact’s message remains the same—to end it—the formats and venues to spread it vary. Impact has developed evidence-based curricula and guides for different professional fields, and for different target audiences. Impact Teen Drivers offers myriad free resources to educators, first responders, healthcare professionals, parents, community members, and teens and teen organizations.
James works alongside the following board members of Impact Teen Drivers:
