Home Lawyers Jim Puga

Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. Trial Lawyer

Education

About

Jim Puga is a devoted and dedicated trial lawyer, nationally recognized in the areas of personal injury and medical malpractice with a keen understanding of medical procedures and standards of practice. Jim’s dogged determination on behalf of his clients and relentless pursuit of justice for those injured by the negligence of others has resulted in multiple multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Jim won the largest medical malpractice jury verdict in the history of the state of Colorado, $17.9 million, on behalf of a child with brain damage. Jim has successfully tried, settled, or is currently handling cases throughout the United States, including the states of Colorado, Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Ohio, Washington, and Wyoming and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Jim was a University Scholar at the University of Denver, graduating cum laude and with honors in political science and history. Jim then attended the University of Denver College of Law on a College of Law scholarship, graduating in 1989. Jim has had the unique experience of several years of practice at one of the preeminent corporate law firms in the Rocky Mountain West, where he gained knowledge and insight into corporate America, including insurance companies and the healthcare industry. Jim then spent several years defending negligence claims before dedicating his practice, nearly 20 years ago, to seeking compensation and justice for those injured by the negligence of others.

Jim is recognized by his peers, clients, and adversaries for the hard-hitting representation he delivers. Jim does not simply represent his clients—he fights for them with a singular focus and determination to achieve justice for their wrongs. Jim is an honored member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. As a nationally recognized trial lawyer, Jim is a frequent invited speaker throughout the United States, lecturing widely on legal and scientific issues related to medical malpractice and personal injury, scientific and evidentiary issues at trial, and trial tactics. Jim is a faculty member with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, and has been invited to speak at the University of Colorado School of Medicine as well as insurance and defense industry seminars as a plaintiff malpractice representative.

Jim is well-versed in all manners of personal injury law and medical malpractice, but has a specific emphasis on birth injury cases, representing babies and children who suffer serious injuries resulting in cerebral palsy. Jim is a past co-chair of the American Association of Justice’s Birth Trauma Litigation Group, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the AAJ Birth Trauma Litigation Group.

As a third-generation Colorado native, Jim is a devoted skier, outdoor enthusiast, cyclist, and, of course, proud orange-wearing fan of the Denver Broncos. Jim’s dedication to his clients is surpassed only by his love for and dedication to his wife and two amazing children with whom he enjoys all that the state of Colorado and world has to offer.

Education

University of Denver

University of Denver College of Law on a College of Law scholarship, 1989; University of Denver as a University Scholar, graduated Cum Laude and with Honors in political science and history.

 

Community Involvement

  • Youth baseball and lacrosse coach
  • Tutor for disadvantaged students
  • Denver Kids, Inc.
  • Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Practice Areas

  • Personal Injury
  • Medical Malpractice
Memberships & Presentations
  • American Board of Trial Advocates
  • Colorado Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA)
  • CTLA Board of Directors
  • CTLA Lobby Council
  • CTLA Executive Council
  • American Association for Justice (AAJ)
  • AAJ Leaders Forum
  • AAJ Birth Trauma Litigation Group
  • AAJ Birth Trauma Litigation Group Board of Directors
  • AAJ Birth Trauma Litigation Group Co-Chair
  • Co-editor of the AAJ Birth Trauma Litigation Newsletter
  • AAJ Medical Negligence Information Exchange Group
  • Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
  • State Bar of Arizona
  • Colorado Bar Association
  • Denver Bar Association
  • Colorado Hispanic Bar Association
  • The Melvin M. Belli Society
  • Faculty member with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy instructing in the area of trial skills
  • Lecturer for the State of Colorado to attorneys at continuing legal education seminars, sponsored by the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association in medical malpractice and trial advocacy
  • Lecturer at the American Association of Justice’s annual convention on medical malpractice and scientific evidentiary issues in medical malpractice
  • Lecturer at the Western Trial Lawyers Association on matters of medical malpractice and scientific evidentiary issues in medical malpractice
  • Lecturer at the University of Colorado Medical School in the area of shoulder dystocia birth injury and various business and insurance-related seminars
Awards
  • America’s Top 100 Attorneys - Lifetime Achievement
  • Best Lawyers in America, Medical Malpractice, 2007-Present
  • Best Lawyers in America, Personal Injury, 2012-Present
  • Colorado Super Lawyers®, 2007-Present
  • 5280 Magazine, Top Lawyers in Denver, Colorado, 2008-Present
  • AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell for over 15 years
  • The Lawyers of Distinction - Personal Injury Lawyers Top 10% in Nation
  • National Association of Distinguished Counsel – Nation’s Top 1% Attorney
  • Admitted, United States Supreme Court
  • Briefed numerous cases to the Colorado Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Colorado Supreme Court
  • Argued before the Colorado Supreme Court
  • Appellate decisions in the state of Colorado, the Federal District Court for the District of Colorado and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Denver Kids, Inc.’s Friend of the Year
  • Martindale-Hubbell Top Rated Lawyers
Published Cases
  • Pressey v. Children’s Hosp. Colo., 2017 COA 28
  • Ferrer v. Okbamicael, 2017 CO 14M
  • Ortiz v. United States, 786 F.3d 817 (10th Cir. 2015)
  • Estate of Ford v. Eicher, 250 P.3d 262; 2011 Colo. LEXIS 233, March 21, 2011 (No. 09SC229)
  • Rudnick v. Ferguson, 179 P.3d 26; 2007 Colo. App. LEXIS 194, February 8, 2007 (No. 05CA0077)
  • Hartmann v. Nordin, 147 P.3d 43, Colo. November 13, 2006 (No. 06SA51)
  • Weaver v. Blake, 454 F.3d 1087; 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 17278, July 11, 2006 (No. 03-1398, 031439)
  • Visser ex rel. Eder v. Mahan, 111 P.3d 575, Colo. App., March 24, 2005 (No. 04CA1361)
  • Bradley v. Val-Mejias, 379 F. 3d 892; 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 15324; 59 Fed. R. Serv. 3d (Callagahan) 146, July 23, 2004 (No. 02-3421)
  • Donelson v. Fritz, 70 P.3d 539, Colo. App. November 21, 2002 (No. 01CA0777)
  • Midwest Mut. Ins. Co. v. Roland, 971 P.2d 295, 98 CJ C.A.R. 4626, Colo. App. September 3, 1998 (No. 97CA0523)
  • Rosenthal v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 82 F.3d 426, 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 21731
  • Andrikopoulos v. Minnelusa Co., 911 P.2d 663, Colo. App., July 13, 1995 (No. 94CA0280, 94CA01232)
  • Burlington Northern R. Co. v. Hood, 802 P.ed 458, Colo, December 10, 1990 (No. 89SC394)