Serious personal injury, medical malpractice and/or the wrongful death of a loved one are highly personal family tragedies attended by a level of suffering and a sense of loss no one should have to bear. With more than 80 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys utilize both legal expertise and solid business know-how to devise practical solutions for clients who have been victims of the negligence of others.

As skilled San Jose Personal Injury Attorneys, we take pride in delivering high standards of competence, integrity and service. Our attorneys' expertise extends to professional malpractice and plaintiff's personal injury claims and litigation. We are recognized for our arbitration and mediation skills, which add a significant dimension to our other practice areas. With a solid foundation in Silicon Valley, our Firm remains committed to our clients and the communities in which we live and work.

Formed in 2003, our Firm traces its roots to the practice of Thomas R. Hogan, a well-known Bay Area attorney. Mr. Hogan has more than 30 years of legal experience, including more than 10 years as a senior partner in the national law firm of Thelen, Marrin Johnson & Bridges (now Thelen, Reid & Priest). Mr. Hogan left Thelen in 1991 to start his own practice where he hired Leslie Holmes. Ms. Holmes and Mr. Hogan worked together for more than 10 years prior to starting HH&U in July 2003 with Stephen Usoz, a well-established San Jose attorney.

With a strong presence in the local legal community and commitment to bar activities, including many pro bono matters, our Firm's attorneys are well known by the local judiciary in both state and federal courts. As a result, in addition to our own clients, we often act as local counsel for out-of-area firms in need of local expertise.

As experienced San Jose Personal Injury Attorneys, our expertise includes the following practice areas:

• Auto Accidents
• Wrongful Death
• Premises Liability
• Civil Rights
• Defamation and Libel
• Spinal Cord Injury 
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Burn Injuries
• Slip & Fall
• Construction/On-the-Job Accidents 
• Motorcycle Accidents
• SUV Rollovers
• Defective Products

Our Firm consistently handles many significant and high profile cases, and consistently strives to fight injustice, expand the rights of personal injury clients and make important changes in the law.  In the legal community, we are recognized as aggressive litigators who are renowned for our preparation, attention to detail and zealous advocacy for the client. We regularly appear before the California Appellate Courts, enforcing significant and important changes in the way municipalities, physicians, commercial landowners, employers, and insurance companies treat personal injury and wrongful death victims throughout the State of California.

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced San Jose Personal Injury Attorney, call Hogan Holmes & Usoz LLP today at 866-786-4764, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Spinal Cord Injury:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when the nerves within the spinal canal are damaged.  Most SCI's are caused by trauma to the vertebral column, affecting the spinal cord's ability to send and receive messages between the brain and the body's systems that control sensory, motor and autonomic function.  Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of SCI, followed by acts of violence, falls, sports injuries and diseases such as polio, spina bifida and Friedreich’s Ataxia.  The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of functioning.

Traumatic Brain Injury:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a medical phrase used to describe the damage to the brain suffered by sudden impact or physical force to the head.  Essentially, the human brain floats in a fluid substance called cerebrospinal fluid.  TBI can result when the force of momentum causes the brain to impact against the skull.  This type of injury, often the result of hitting your head on the windshield, pavement or object, is frequently referred to as a “closed head injury.”  Whiplash can also cause TBI.  These closed head injuries can result in lasting physical and mental problems.

Burn Injuries:
People who have suffered and survived the agony of second, third and even fourth degree burns describe the pain they experienced as among the most severe of all traumatic injuries.  Personal injuries involving severe burns commonly result from explosions, premises fires, defective products, motor vehicle collisions, electric shock, as well as accidental exposure to harmful chemicals and radiation.

Slip and Fall/Premises Liability:
Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and can cause serious personal injury.  Most slip and falls happen in commercial settings, such as grocery stores, drug stores, office buildings, construction sites, gas stations and malls, but they also happen on private property.  Premises Liability accidents can include toxic exposure, animal attacks, swimming pool accidents and amusement park ride accidents.  In any event, there exist duties on the part of the property owners to maintain the property responsibly and avoid the existence of hazardous conditions.

Dangerous or defective conditions may be large or small, temporary or permanent.  Therefore, investigation of the claim is essential to a successful case.  Temporary conditions such as water on the floor of a grocery store, or snow and ice on the stairs of a restaurant need to be investigated quickly.

Construction/ On-the-Job Accidents:
Construction labor makes up one of the three most dangerous occupations in the United States today; each year producing thousands of debilitating injuries and wrongful deaths.  Factors that contribute to construction accidents include workers lifting loads with worn and weathered cables, working on elevated platforms without fall protection or wearing defective safety harnesses and lanyards, and/or working in trenches with improper benching and using outdated tools and equipment.  Farming and manufacturing accidents, as well as the oil and gas industry accidents can also cause serious injury and toxic exposure.

• Toxic Exposure: Due to the tremendous growth of corporate industry in the United States over the past fifty years, the number of dangerous, toxic substances in the environment has grown significantly.  Some toxic substances are shown to cause substantial injury to people, such as lead-based paint (linked to brain damage, especially in children), asbestos (linked to lung cancer and restrictive lung disease), dry cleaning and other solvents (linked to brain damage and major organ damage), pesticides such as dioxin and DDT (linked to birth injuries) and toxic landfill waste (linked to leukemia).

Vehicle Accidents:
Legal claims that arise from vehicle accidents are typically governed by the law of negligence.  Any individual who negligently operates a motor vehicle may be required to pay damages to an injured victim.  A personal injury case involving a vehicle accident may become formalized through civil court proceedings or may be resolved through an informal settlement before a lawsuit is filed.  Vehicle accidents can include:

• admiralty and maritime law
• ATV accidents
• automobile accidents
• aviation accidents
• bicycle accidents
• boating accidents
• commercial bus accidents
• cruise ship accidents
• intersection accidents
• motorcycle accidents
• pedestrian accidents
• rear end collisions
• semi-tractor trailer accidents
• school bus accidents
• SUV rollover accidents
• train accidents
• truck accidents
• yacht accidents

The surviving family members of a fatally injured accident victim may be able to bring wrongful death charges against the defendant.

Automobile Accidents:
A car accident is a collision involving an automobile and anything that causes damage to the automobile, including other automobiles, telephone poles, buildings and trees. Sometimes a car accident may also refer to an automobile striking a human or animal. Car accidents — also called traffic collisions, auto accidents, road accidents, personal injury collisions, motor vehicle accidents and crashes — kill an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide each year, and injure about forty times this number.

Motorcycle Accidents:
Motorcycle riders are often exposed to dangers not met by automobile drivers and other motorists on the road.  The lack on any substantial protective barriers, as well as the difficulty that other motorists may have in seeing or stopping for a motorcycle, leaves riders prone to serious personal injury in the event of an accident.

SUV Rollovers:
Although SUV rollovers do not occur as often as other automobile accidents, when they do occur they have a higher chance of resulting in serious injury or death, and are considered to be the most fatal type of vehicle accident on national roadways.  According to the Federal Highway Administration, SUV rollover accidents account for more than side and rear fatal vehicles combined and SUV's are three times more likely than the average passenger car rollover.

Although SUV's were designed primarily for the purpose of off-roading, manufacturers have since discovered their immense popularity as family vehicles.  Manufacturers have begun removing roll bars in current models.  SUV seat structures are not designed to keep occupants in place during a rollover regardless if seatbelts are worn.  Vehicle roofs, windshields and side windows easily collapse, increasing the risk of occupant head, brain and spinal cord and back injuries.  While the body of an SUV remains the same as it would if used for off-roading, the removal of the roll bars, combined with the high center gravity due to multiple passengers, make rollover accidents and occupant ejection that much more fatal.

Defamation (libel & slander):
A form of personal injury that does no physical harm but can be extremely harmful to person's reputation or character is called defamation.  Defamation is false and unprivileged spoken words (slander) or written publication (libel) which exposes any living person to hatred, contempt, ridicule or, which causes a person to be shunned or avoided, or which has a tendency to injure him or her in his or her trade or occupation.

Defective Products:
Products liability refers to a manufacturer or seller being held liable for placing a defective product into the hands of a consumer.  Products liability cases may include defective or poorly designed machinery, tools, motor vehicle defects, recreational products, pharmaceuticals and other defective products and equipment.  A person injured by a defective or dangerous product may be eligible to file a lawsuit for product liability.  Damages can be recovered under one of the following categories:  strict products liability; negligence or breach of warranty.

Wrongful Death:
A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company or organization.  A legal action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children, and sometimes parents.  Under certain circumstances, unrelated minor children living with and supported by the decedent may also bring a claim for wrongful death.  In order to bring a successful wrongful death cause of action, the following elements must be present:

• The death of a human being caused by another's negligent or intentional conduct.
• The survival of family members who are suffering the loss of financial support, love, care, comfort, supervision, guidance, household assistance and general society previously provided by the deceased.

The general rule in wrongful death cases is that one is entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages which are suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one.  Economic damages in a wrongful death case include an award for the financial contributions which the decedent would have made to his or her spouse, children and/or parents had he or she survived.  It also includes the recovery for funeral service expenses in memory of the decedent and for burial cost.  Non-economic damages include loss of love, society, companionship, comfort, affection, solace or moral support.

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced San Jose Personal Injury Attorney, call Hogan Holmes & Usoz LLP today at 866-786-4764, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced San Jose Personal Injury Attorney, call Hogan Holmes & Usoz LLP today at 866-786-4764, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

Address of the Firm:
Hogan Holmes & Usoz LLP
333 West Santa Clara St.
San Jose, CA 95113
Telephone: 866-786-4764
Fax: 408-292-7611

Members of the Firm:

Stephen J. Usoz                                                           .

Education
University California, Davis (B.S., 1977); Golden Gate University (M.P.A 1981); Lincoln University (J.D., 1997); P.O.S.T. credential

Experience
More than 26 year Law Enforcement background with the City of San Jose; Instructor in law enforcement adminstrative investigations.
Law Offices of Stephen J. Usoz (1997-2003)
Broad-based civil practice, including substantial experience in family law litigation and general civil litigation, including personal injury.

Bar Memberships
California Bar, 1997; United States District Court - Northern District of California, United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit

Professional Associations
State Bar of California, American Bar Association, Santa Clara County Bar Association, American Trial Lawyers Association


Thomas R. Hogan                                                           .

Education
University of Notre Dame (B.A. 1962); University of Pittsburgh (L.L.B. 1966). Member, University of Pittsburgh Law Review, 1965-1966.

Experience
Associate (1967-75), Partner (1975-91) and Managing Partner, San Jose Office (1981-91), of Thelen, Marrin, Johnson and Bridges (now Thelen Reid & Priest).

Primarily engaged in commercial construction law matters while a member of the Thelen firm. 85% of practice was in construction law, primarily representing owners, developers, and public agencies and some sub and specialty contractors and general contractors involving public and private (commercial, industrial and institutional) projects. Since starting own firm in June, 1991, broad range of litigation including representation of plaintiffs and defendants in fraud actions, professional malpractice claims and patent disputes.

Faculty Member, Federal Practice Program, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, 1985-1992. Member, Federal Pro Bono Project of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and The Santa Clara County Bar Association, 1993-. Judge Pro Tem, Special Master, Santa Clara County Superior Court, 1991-.

Dispute Resolution Training
Faculty, AAA 1-Day Commercial Construction Advanced Arbitration Training (San Francisco 4/93); Faculty, AAA Basic Arbitration Training (Cupertino, 3/90 and San Francisco 11/92)

Bar Memberships
Pennsylvania Bar, 1966; California Bar, 1968

Professional Associations
American Bar Association (Member, Litigation Section); San Francisco Bar Association (Convention Delegate, 1973-1975); Santa Clara Bar Association; Santa Clara Trial Lawyers Association; California Trial Lawyers Association; Associated General Contractors of California, Legal Advisory Committee; AGC of California (Legal Advisory Commission); St. Thomas More Society of Santa Clara County. Member, 1974-1978 and Chairman, 1977-1978, Committee on Appellate Courts, The State Bar of California. Member: Panel of Arbitrators, Mediators, 1977-, Regional Advisory Council, 1979-; Construction Industry Advisory Committee, 1980-; Large Complex Case Program, 1993-, American Arbitration Association. Member: Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame.


Leslie Holmes                                                           .

Education
San Jose State University (B.A., 1988); Santa Clara University (Paralegal Certificate, 1992); Lincoln University (J.D. , 1997).

Experience
Associate (1997-2003, Paralegal (1993-1997), Law Offices of Thomas R. Hogan.
Broad-based litigation practice, including substantial experience in creditors rights, employment, intellectual property and complex business litigation.

Bar Memberships
California Bar, 1997; United States District Court - Northern District of California, United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit

Professional Associations
State Bar of California, American Bar Association, Santa Clara County Bar Association; American Trial Lawyers Association

Cynthia Hasson                                                           .

Education
Scripps College, Claremont (B.A., 1989)
Lincoln University (J.D. , 1997)

Experience
Staff Attorney,
Legal Aid Society of Santa Clara County (2002-2004)
Legal Program Coordinator,
Next Door Solutions (2002-2004)
General litigation practice, with specialized expertise in family law matters, including child custody, support issues and tracing of marital assets.

Bar Memberships
California Bar, 1997;United States District Court - Northern District of California

Professional Associations
State Bar of California, Santa Clara County Bar Association


Mark V. Boennighausen                                                           .

Education
University of Notre Dame (B.A. with Honors, 1985)
University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall) (J.D. , 1989)
Moot Court Board Member
Senior Articles Editor, High Technology Law Journal (now Berkeley Technology Law Journal)

Experience
Vice-President, Law.com (1999-2002)
General Manager, Internet Division, American Lawyer Media (1998-1999)
Director, Internet Products, American Lawyer Media (1995-1998)
Reporter, The Recorder (1993-1995)
Associate, Bergeson & Eliopoulos (1991-1993)
Associate, Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges (1989-1991)

More than 10 years of diversified legal experience, including substantial background in licensing and technology related (especially Internet) business agreements through work with American Lawyer Media and Law.com.

Litigation experience includes acting as general counsel in managing $5 million breach of license agreement that settled on favorable terms after 3 days of trial; Representing Fortune 500 disk drive maker in trade secret litigation; Representing officers and directors in class action securities case; Representing executives in employment disputes over non-compete clauses and termination agreements; representing Fortune 500 company in insurance coverage dispute over fidelity policy; representing contract disk drive litigation between Fortune 100 company and German-based distributor; breach of contract action on software development agreement; and bitter antitrust and unfair competition action between two concrete aggregate suppliers.

Corporate experience includes creating investment LLCs for groups of private investors to buy technology assets; negotiating technology license agreement on behalf of Stanford University professor for sale of technology; drafting technology development agreements on behalf of digital technology start-up; developing and drafting company contracts, including advertising and partnering contracts, as well as content license and freelance agreements for start-up internet content company.

Bar Memberships
1989 -- California; United States District Court - Northern District of California, United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit; 1992 Colorado

Professional Associations
State Bar of California, American Bar Association, Santa Clara County Bar Association