Ben Coughlan is an award-winning trial lawyer who has dedicated his career to fighting for individuals going through the toughest times of their lives. Ben believes that personal attention, and creativity on cases, are what achieve the best results for clients. Ben believes his job is to tell each client's story as he or she sees it, not as others might see it. To do that, he believes in spending the time to get to know every client personally so he can best understand not only how to get the largest financial result, but also how to take as much stress as possible off the client throughout the process.
Ben is known in San Diego, and throughout Southern California, for handling some of the very biggest and most high-profile cases. In addition to his experience litigating, Ben is an adjunct professor at University of San Diego School of Law and an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) in both the Trial Skills and Depositions Skills programs. Ben is the President of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego (CASD)– the Plaintiff’s Bar for all of San Diego.
Ben has a sub-specialty in brain injury and spinal injury cases. He is the immediate past Vice President of the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation, and regularly works to support brain injury survivors in his free time. He is also a published author in the field of Brain Injuries, having co-authored and edited “A Journey Towards Recovery: A Brain Injury Guide for Survivors.” He is regularly asked to speak about brain injuries around the country to lawyers, medical professionals, survivors and their families.
Prior to becoming a lawyer Ben spent four years in the media relations department of the San Diego Padres.
Ben was born and raised in San Diego. He lives with his wife Kathleen, son Jack (5) and daughter Mackenzie (3) in Solana Beach. Ben and his family love San Diego and believe it is their privilege to give back to their community.
- TIPS/ABOTA National Trial Academy
- Graduate
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- University of San Diego School of Law
- J.D. (2012) | Law
- National Mock Trial Team; Teaching Assistant, Lawyering Skills I; Phi Beta Phi
- Honors: Best Overall Advocate, Written and Oral (Lawyering Skills I); Cali Award for Excellence, Intellectual Property (Fall 2010)
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- Northwestern University
- B.S. (2005) | Journalism
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- Adjunct Professor
- University of San Diego School of Law
- Current
- Co-Founder/Partner
- Coughlan & Vinel LLP
- - Current
- Trial Attorney / Partner
- Gomez Trial Attorneys
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- Summer Law Clerk
- Grimes and Warwick
- Media Relations
- San Diego Padres
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- Public Relations
- Beaman Incorporated
- Marketing Intern
- Chicago Bears
- Intern
- CLTV News
- Legal Department Intern
- San Diego Padres
- Negligent Sexual Transmission of Disease: A Primer
- Trial Bar News
- Anything but Simple, the Taxation of Personal Injury Settlements and Judgments
- Trial Bar News
- Understanding Pituitary Injuries in Brain Injury Cases
- Trial Bar News
- 10 Cases Every Trial Lawyer Should Know
- Trial Bar News
- Intervening and Superseding Causes in California Tort Cases
- Trial Bar News
- FIGHT or FLIGHT: Understanding the Immediate Aftermath of Trauma, CAOC Palm Springs Seminar, Palm Springs, CA
- Traumatic Brain Injuries, TBI Med Legal Conference, San Diego, CA
- Emergency Update: On fee Cap Initiative & Other Political Issues, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego
- Screening, Evaluating and Litigating Brain Injury., Arizona State Bar Convention
- Brain Injuries, Law, Pain, Bone and Brain Conference, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego
- Super Lawyer
- SuperLawyers
- 10.0 Superb Rating
- Avvo
- AV Preeminent Rating
- Avvo
- Top 100
- The National Trial Lawyers
- State Bar of California # 284658
- Member
- Current
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- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) National Trial College
- Fellow
- Current
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- University of San Diego School of Law
- Alumni Board of Directors
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- National Institute of Trial Advocacy
- Instructor
- - Current
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- Hon. J. Clifford Wallace American Inn of Court
- Associate
- - Current
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- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
- Member
- - Current
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- Trial Bar News - Consumer Attorneys
- Editor - Torts Section
- - Current
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- National Institute for Trial Advocacy
- Instructor
- - Current
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- San Diego Brain Injury Foundation (SDBIF)
- Vice President
- - Current
- Activities: Board of Directors; Vice President 2014-2019
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- American Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
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- Consumer Attorneys of San Diego
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Board of Directors 2023; President 2022; President-Elect 2021; Treasurer 2020; Secretary 2019
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- Consumer Attorneys of California
- Member
- - Current
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- American Association for Justice
- Member
- - Current
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- Hon. William B. Enright American Inn of Court
- Associate
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- California
- State Bar of California
- ID Number: 284658
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- Free Consultation
- Contingent Fees
- Personal Injury
- Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
- Employment Law
- Employee Benefits, Employment Contracts, Employment Discrimination, ERISA, Overtime & Unpaid Wages, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Medical Malpractice
- Birth Injury, Medical Misdiagnosis, Pharmacy Errors, Surgical Errors
- Products Liability
- Drugs & Medical Devices, Motor Vehicle Defects, Toxic Torts
- Insurance Claims
- Bad Faith Insurance, Business Insurance, Health Insurance, Motor Vehicle Insurance, Property Insurance
- Bike Accident
- Burn Injury
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment
- Whistleblower and Qui Tam
- English
2020 Ben J. Coughlan Rising Star Recent Alumni Awards Video
Attorney Ben Coughlan and SDBIF Susan Hansen on Traumatic Brain Injuries
San Diego Brain Injury Foundation COO Susan Hansen and Attorney Ben Coughlan discuss brain injuries.
BarBites Podcast - Ben Coughlan
Michael talks with Ben Coughlan Esq., managing partner of Coughlan & Vinel LLP about his path to becoming an attorney, advice on finding the right business partner, and what it...