Episoder
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This week on the podcast we interview Chris Hamilton of Hamilton Wingo (https://hamiltonwingo.com/).
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Guest Bio:
Chris Hamilton
Chris Hamilton is one of the country’s leading high-stakes trial lawyers. He has won record-setting verdicts and settlements in catastrophic personal injury cases, wrongful death lawsuits, and complex business disputes.
Chris chooses to work on cases where he knows he can make a game-changing difference by relying on his methodical preparation and truly extraordinary trial skills. He takes great pride when lawyers and clients trust him to handle the most important cases of their careers or lives.
In 2022, Chris won a historic $7.37 billion jury verdict in Dallas, Texas, which was the year’s largest verdict nationwide and 4th largest personal injury award in U.S. history against a corporation.
His nearly two decades of experience taking on negligence, fraud, and abuse by big businesses includes Chris’ work alongside the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in a ground-breaking federal False Claims Act case. The $25 million settlement in 2021 directly against a private equity firm and a group of healthcare industry executives is the largest of its kind.
Chris has been featured in Courtroom View Network’s (CVN) list of the Most Impressive Trials of 2019, and his multibillion-dollar victory in 2022 topped CVN’s list of the Most Impressive Plaintiffs Verdicts of 2022.
The Dallas Business Journal recognized Chris for winning Texas’ largest personal injury verdict in 2014, ranked as the nation’s 17th largest. In addition, he was recognized by Top Verdict in 2016 for Texas’ 9th largest personal injury verdict. Verdict Search noted him in 2011 for one of the state’s Top 10 and Top 100 verdicts in the U.S.
Chris has been repeatedly recognized for his expertise in personal injury trials by other attorneys in the annual list of The Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine, The Best Lawyers in America, Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers, and National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Attorneys, and is a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and the Leader’s Forum for the American Association for Justice.
Chris’ cases have been featured in numerous media outlets, including Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNN, Texas Lawyer, Dallas Business Journal, Law360, The Dallas Morning News, Texas Lawbook, The Houston Chronicle, and The Austin-American Statesman, and numerous local television reports and print news stories nationwide.
Chris earned the Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year honor in 2017 from the American Association for Justice for representing hundreds of people unlawfully detained at DFW Airport during the travel ban. Chris, a fluent Spanish speaker, is a current member of the Board of Directors for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Cody Berne of Stoll Berne (https://stollberne.com/).
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Guest Bio:
Cody Berne
Cody Berne is an advocate for his clients in cases large and small. He is prepared to go to trial if that is what the case requires. Cody has been first chair at over 40 trials. He leads Stoll Berne’s team in the class action lawsuit against PacifiCorp for starting fires across Oregon during the Labor Day 2020 storm. He was co-lead trial counsel in an 8-week trial where the jury found PacifiCorp liable to a class of several thousand people for gross negligence, punitive damages, and other claims. The jury awarded on average approximately $5 million to each of the 17-named plaintiffs. He was also co-lead trial counsel in the first and second damages-only jury trials on behalf of 19 more class members. The juries awarded several million dollars per person. The trials and litigation, including the work by Cody and his colleagues at Stoll Berne, have been featured in national and local news, including NPR, the Washington Post, Oregonlive, the New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, and the AP.
Along with representing wildfire survivors and their families, Cody advises investors who lost money because of fraud and other misconduct and plaintiffs in class actions. His class action experience includes securities, consumer, ERISA, food labeling, and fire cases. Cody’s practice also includes commercial and complex litigation.
He is an active member of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association. Cody previously worked as a deputy district attorney at the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. Before that, Cody represented individuals and businesses in cases involving investment fraud and a wide range of business disputes at a large Northwest firm.
He received the Haglund Award in 2016 from the Multnomah Bar Association. He was selected as a Future Star in Benchmark Litigation and also named in The Best Lawyers in America and Oregon Super Lawyers.
During law school, Cody interned for U.S. District Court Judge Kimberly Mueller and U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Delaney. Elected to Order of the Coif, he received the Clinical Legal Education Association Award and a Witkin Award. Cody also represented clients as a law student at the Civil Rights Clinic and Prison Law Clinic and earned a Public Service Certificate.
Before law school, Cody served as a police officer with the Portland Police Bureau and as a wildland firefighter across the West.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Chris Hamilton of Hamilton Wingo LLP (https://hamiltonwingo.com/).
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Case Details:
Discussing a landmark premises liability case, trial lawyer and Hamilton Wingo LLP partner Chris Hamilton explains how he held McDonald's responsible for ongoing lack of security and secured justice for the families of Texas A&M college students Denton Ward and Lauren Crisp, who died following a late-night trip to a McDonald's in College Station, Texas. In February 2012, Denton Ward and Lauren Crisp, along with Samantha Bean and another friend, went to McDonald's, where Denton Ward was violently assaulted by Marcus Jones and a mob of other attackers. Lauren Crisp and Samantha Bean carried a bleeding Denton Ward to his SUV in an attempt to get him to the hospital. The driver, Samantha Bean, ran a red light and collided with another car. Denton Ward was killed and Lauren Crisp, who was unrestrained and tending to Denton Ward's injuries, was also killed. Despite the defense's attempts to shift focus away from McDonald's ongoing lack of concern for customer safety at a restaurant location with a history of late-night violence and to blame Samantha Bean for reckless driving, a Brazos County, Texas jury assigned 97 percent of the responsibility to McDonald's and returned a verdict of $27,000,000 in damages.
Guest Bio:
Chris Hamilton
Chris Hamilton has established himself as one of the leading high-stakes trial lawyers in the United States. Hamilton has a recent track record of verdicts and settlements that are setting the mark in both the personal injury arena and in complex business disputes. For example, Hamilton was recently featured in Courtroom View Network’s (CVN) list of Most Impressive Trials of 2019. In 2014, Hamilton was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as having the largest jury verdict in Texas for a personal injury case and the 17th largest jury verdict in the United States. In 2016, Hamilton was recognized by Top Verdict as having the ninth-largest personal injury verdict in Texas. Hamilton was recognized in 2011 by Verdict Search as having one of the top 10 verdicts in Texas and top 100 verdicts in the United States. Hamilton was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America for 2019, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America for 2020, and is a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Shane Lazenby of Lazenby Law Group (https://lazlawgroup.com/).
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Case Details:
Former defense attorney and U.S. Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps veteran Shane Lazenby of Lazenby Law Group explains how he secured justice in the wrongful death of Kip Holland, a 50-year-old intellectually disabled pedestrian who was hit by a weaving, out-of-control tractor-trailer in Gainesville, Georgia. At trial, Shane Lazenby demonstrated that James Harper, the 76-year-old tractor-trailer driver who died before the case went to trial, lied on his Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration medical exam, took prescription narcotics four times a day, performed breathing treatments for COPD in his trailer and was regularly admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. In 2020, a Gainesville, Georgia jury returned a verdict in favor of Kip Holland's grieving family and awarded $21,029,363 in damages, litigation expenses, and attorney's fees.
Guest Bio:
Shane Lazenby
Shane Lazenby is the founder and managing member of Lazenby Law Group. After more than a decade of defending those accused of negligence in personal injury cases, Shane decided to reverse course and help the victims of serious injuries. With unparalleled compassion and limitless commitment, Shane quickly learned how much more rewarding and uplifting service as a victim’s advocate can be. Shane now focuses his practice on helping the victims of catastrophic personal injury and the families whose loved ones have passed as a result of another's negligence.
Shane received his law degree in 1999 at the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. While at Mercer, Shane was a member of the Moot Court Board and the Mercer Law Review where he served as the Eleventh Circuit Survey Editor. Shane also received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with a minor in Latin, from Mercer in 1994.
Following law school, Shane returned to the United States Army, where he served as a Judge Advocate with the 82d Airborne Division. Shane’s service included duties as the Regimental Judge Advocate for the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, where he obtained a 100% conviction rate in the most active military justice jurisdiction in the United States Army. Shane was also selected to be the first Judge Advocate from the 82d Airborne Division to deploy to the Global War on Terrorism as counsel to the Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Shane was then selected to be the Operational Law Attorney for the 82d Airborne Division Commander in Bagram, Afghanistan, where he served until returning home.
In December 2010, Shane retired from the Georgia Army National Guard after 21 years of total military service with the Georgia National Guard, United States Army, and Army Reserve. Shane joined the military in 1989, first serving as a combat medical specialist. In 1993 Shane graduated from Officer’s Candidate School and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer. Shane served as an Infantry Platoon Leader, Signal Platoon Leader, and Operations Officer with a Ranger-led, Airborne Long Range Surveillance Unit. He then returned to the active Army for his tour of duty as a Judge Advocate before transitioning into the Army Reserve. In the Army Reserve, Shane continued service as a Judge Advocate, but was then selected for Command as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander for the 335th Signal Command. Thereafter, Shane transitioned back into the Georgia Army National Guard where he returned to his Infantry roots and became the Executive Officer of the 3-108th Cavalry Squadron; his retirement assignment. Shane’s service awards include the coveted Ranger tab, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Bronze Star for service in the Republic of Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Shane’s service as an Army Ranger also included competition in the LTG David E. Grange Best Ranger Competition in 2002.
After his return from Afghanistan, Shane transitioned into private practice with a prestigious trial defense firm in Atlanta, Georgia, where he gained invaluable experience and growth alongside some of Georgia’s finest defense and plaintiff attorneys. After deciding to depart big city life, Shane settled with his family in Gainesville, Georgia. In Gainesville, Shane continued honing his skills as a partner with a Gainesville firm specializing in the defense of physicians accused of medical malpractice. In his career, Shane has tried more than fifty cases to verdict. His extensive experience was noted when he was selected as an Atlanta Magazine Georgia Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Shane was also pleased to be selected as a Georgia Super Lawyer for Plaintiff’s Personal Injury in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019, a peer-reviewed award limited to only the top 2.5% of Georgia’s attorneys. Shane also maintains a coveted AV Rating from Martindale Hubbell – the highest possible rating in terms of both legal ability and ethical standards. Shane was also fortunate to graduate from Leadership Georgia in 2013 and Leadership Hall County in 2016.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, Steve and Yvonne interview Richard Mitchell of Mitchell & Shapiro LLP (https://www.mitchellshapiro.com/).
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Case Details:
Richard Mitchell, a partner at Mitchell & Shapiro LLP, explains how he secured justice for Elizabeth Dickinson, who sustained a painful pressure ulcer due to the negligence of Landmark Hospital's staff, who did not rotate her position regularly on her hospital bed. Transferred from Grady Hospital in Atlanta after receiving treatment for car crash-related injuries, Elizabeth was admitted to Landmark Hospital with a stable stage 2 sacral ulcer, which quickly escalated to stage 4. The pressure ulcer took a full year to heal, but Elizabeth's activities continue to be limited due to the poor wound care she received. Despite the defense's attempts to blame Landmark's new medical records system, Elizabeth's daughter and even Elizabeth herself for her injuries, a Gwinnett County, Georgia jury returned a verdict of $1,300,000 in damages.
Guest Bio:
Richard Mitchell
Richard C. Mitchell is a partner with Mitchell & Shapiro LLP. He concentrates on personal injury matters, including medical malpractice, trucking and auto wrecks, and aviation crashes. In December of 2003 and 2014, he was voted by his peers in Georgia Trend magazine as one of Georgia’s “Legal Elite” in the personal injury area. From 2003-2019 the readers of Atlanta Magazine voted him a “Georgia Super Lawyer” in personal injury litigation. He is regarded as one of the most experienced personal injury and medical malpractice lawyers in the Atlanta, Georgia area and has received the highest possible professional rating, Martindale-Hubble's AV Preeminent rating, consecutively for 20 years.
After clerking for 2 United States District Court judges in Atlanta, Richard C. Mitchell was an associate and partner with the major law firm Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy for over 14 years before leaving to start his own firm in 1997. During that time, he successfully represented numerous manufacturers and insurers in product liability cases, including manufacturers of automobiles, aircraft and aircraft components, forklifts, woodworking machinery, chemicals, conveyor belts, and electric limit switches. He left the large firm in order to concentrate on representing injured individuals. Mr. Mitchell’s years of experience defending clients in personal injury cases and working with insurance companies have given him a unique insight into the civil litigation process and an ability to work with defendants to obtain favorable results for his clients. He is a successful veteran of more than 100 trials, arbitrations, and mediations; he, therefore, has the experience and skills to achieve his clients’ goals before a judge and jury in the event a settlement cannot be reached. He has obtained several Georgia Top Ten Verdicts in medical malpractice.
As one of the finest personal injury lawyers in Atlanta, Georgia, Richard C. Mitchell has been a frequent speaker at seminars and the author of chapters in several treatises and legal articles.
Richard is also currently serving as an adjunct professor at Georgia State University School of Law.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Alwyn Fredericks of Cash, Krugler, Fredericks (https://ckandf.com/).
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Case Details:
Alwyn Fredericks, a partner at Cash Krugler Fredericks in Atlanta, shares how he secured justice for 18-year-old college student Jewel Wicker, who sustained permanent brain damage following a severe car crash. Jewel was on her way to church when her Honda Accord was hit by a 26-foot Freightliner that ran a red light. The impact of the tractor-trailer, owned by First Class Produce, caused Jewel to hit her head, rendering her temporarily unconscious. Suffering damage to her frontal and temporal lobes, Jewel was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury, which, years after the crash, still causes her to have headaches, ringing in her ears, light sensitivity, memory problems, anxiety, and depression. Despite the defense's attempts to persuade the jury that Jewel was lying about her injuries or embellishing the extent of her pain, a DeKalb County jury returned a verdict of $3,500,000.
Guest Bio:
Alwyn Fredericks
Alwyn Fredericks graduated from Mercer University Law School in 1998. His practice areas include auto and trucking accidents, medical malpractice, fire and explosion cases, and premises liability actions. Mr. Fredericks has a sub-specialty in litigating traumatic brain injury cases and has successfully tried several brain injury cases, obtaining substantial verdicts for his clients. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and a former member of the Editorial Board of Verdict, a magazine of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. Additional memberships include the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice, the American Bar Association, and the Gate City Bar Association. Mr. Fredericks frequently presents at local and national seminars regarding effective litigation and trial techniques. He is consistently recognized as a top litigator in Georgia and named one of Georgia’s Superlawyers.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Brian McKeen of McKeen and Associates, LP (https://www.mckeenassociates.com/).
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Case Details:
Detroit medical malpractice attorney Brian McKeen explains how he secured justice for a two-month-old boy who suffered brain damage resulting in cerebral palsy after William Beaumont Hospital technicians failed to act urgently. The baby turned blue after receiving an IV for an outpatient renal scan and was without oxygen for 12 minutes because nuclear medicine technicians neglected to immediately issue a "code blue" or to begin administering chest compressions. Despite the defense's attempts to convince the jury that the incident occurred due to pre-existing conditions, an Oakland County, Michigan jury returned a landmark $130.5 million verdict.
Guest Bio:
Brian McKeen
Brian McKeen began practicing law in 1982. During his career, he has become a powerful advocate for his clients and one of the foremost medical malpractice attorneys in Michigan. He has tried cases throughout the United States. He currently sits on the executive boards of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). Mr. McKeen formerly served as chair of the AAJ Professional Negligence Section, Medical Negligence Exchange Group, and Birth Trauma Litigation Group (BTLG).
Since 2001, McKeen & Associates has generated the year's top verdict in Michigan four times, including securing the state's largest medical malpractice verdict on record in 2001, when a jury rendered a verdict award of $55 million in the case of Hall v Henry Ford Health System. McKeen & Associates also topped all Michigan verdict awards in 2002, with an award of $22.5 million in the case of Blazo v McLaren Regional Medical Center, et al; in 2006, with an award of $16 million in the case of Lowe v Henry Ford Health System; and in 2007, with an award of $35 million in the case of Oppenheim v Aeneas C. Guiney. Mr. McKeen was recently inducted into The Inner Circle of Advocates and named Top Attorneys in Michigan as published by The New York Times in September 2012.
Professional Associations and Memberships:
Inner Circle of Advocates - The Inner Circle of Advocates is an invitation-only group, limited to 100 lawyers of excellent character and integrity, representing people throughout the United States. To qualify, members must have tried at least 50 personal injury jury trials and at least three verdicts in excess of one million dollars or one verdict in excess of ten million dollars.
International Society of Primerus - Primerus is an international network of top-rated, independent law firms that have earned the right to display the Primerus seal of quality. Candidates for membership must have the maximum AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the peer review rating source that lawyers use to find other lawyers. Further, a law firm must submit to a rigorous evaluation, which includes candid assessments from judges, fellow attorneys, current and former clients, bar associations, and malpractice insurance carriers. Firms must also attest to their commitment to the exacting standards of the Six Pillars of Primerus Quality: Integrity, Excellent Work Product, Reasonable Fees, Continuing Legal Education, Civility, and Community Service. And it doesn't end there. Primerus firms are audited annually to ensure that they continue to be the "best of the best," year after year.
American Association for Justice (AAJ)- Chair of the Professional Negligence Section 2006 - 2008; Co-chair of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group (BTLG); Co-chair of the AAJ's Medical Negligence Exchange Group 2005 - 2007 (MNIEG); Board of Governors; Leaders Forum; Sustaining Member; National Finance Counsel; Litigation Group Coordination Committee; Executive Board.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, Steve and Yvonne interview David Yarborough and William Applegate of Yarborough Applegate Law Firm, LLC (https://www.yarboroughapplegate.com/).
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Case Details:
Yarborough Applegate secured a landmark jury verdict against Amazon for $44.6 million, including $30 million in punitive damages, after a man was catastrophically injured in a motorcycle collision with an Amazon van on Orangeburg Road in Summerville, South Carolina. This distracted driving case marks the first time Amazon has tested with a jury the issue of whether the online retail and global logistics giant will be held responsible for injuries caused by one of its 285,000 Amazon Delivery Associates (drivers) it calls independent contractors.
Yarborough Applegate attorneys David Yarborough, Alexandra Heaton, and William Applegate, working alongside Nick Clekis of the Clekis Law Firm in Charleston, represented a motorcyclist who sustained a traumatic brain injury and numerous orthopedic injuries in September 2021 when an Amazon Delivery Associate failed to yield to the right of way and turned left directly into his path. We filed suit against the driver, the local delivery company MJV Logistics, and Amazon, Amazon Services, and Amazon Logistics Inc. Source.
Guest Bios:
David Yarborough
David has a history of achieving record-breaking jury verdicts and settlements for his clients. In December 2023, David and partners obtained a $44.6 million jury verdict against Amazon.com, Inc. in the first case to hold Amazon vicariously liable under an agency theory for the vicarious and negligent acts of its delivery drivers, whom Amazon claims are independent contractors. This was the largest personal injury verdict ever awarded in conservative Dorchester County and is believed to be one of the largest jury verdicts in South Carolina history in an injury case not involving death. Read more about this case here.
In October 2021, David achieved the largest dram shop verdict ever in Charleston County, South Carolina, for the sale of alcohol to minors by a Sunoco gas station. David and the firm also achieved one of the top 100 jury verdicts in the United States from their $35.9 million verdict against PEPCO in conservative Montgomery County, Maryland.
David has collected jury verdicts and settlements totaling hundreds of millions of dollars for his catastrophically injured clients in cases involving bad faith against insurance companies; industrial plant injuries resulting in worker deaths; product liability from automobile rollovers and industrial machine injuries; toxic chemical spills by railroad companies; pool drownings; trucking and auto accidents; nursing home and daycare negligence; dram shop and alcohol liability negligence by bars and restaurants; and negligence by retail stores, energy companies, apartment complexes, hotels, and construction contractors for job-site, balcony collapse and premises injuries.
He is a member of the Charleston Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), the South Carolina Association of Justice, the American Association for Justice, the Charleston County Bar’s Mental Wellness Committee, Lawyers Helping Lawyers, and the Board of Regents of TriCounty Family Ministries. For the past twenty-five years, David has been heavily involved in mentoring and counseling people suffering from alcoholism and addiction who are seeking recovery. He places a large emphasis on giving back to the local community through free legal work and generous financial and service contributions to local charities each year. He and his wife, Jessica, are Charleston natives and have four children.
Prior to founding Yarborough Applegate, David was a partner at another Charleston-based law firm, where he was part of a national trial team defending products liability cases in trials across the United States. His experience handling national litigation and having represented both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts around the country provides him with a varied perspective in discovery strategy, negotiations, and trial.
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William Applegate
With nearly twenty years of experience in the courtroom, William is a seasoned trial lawyer with a track record of success. He has successfully litigated complex cases involving toxic torts, electrocutions, police negligence, medical negligence, and premises liability, representing clients suffering from the most severe catastrophic injuries. Beyond having had numerous trial victories, he has also achieved two record-breaking verdicts, been recognized by his peers as one of the top litigators in the state, won numerous awards as a leader in the law, and has been consistently given Martindale-Hubbell’s highest ranking as an AV lawyer.
Beyond his experience and hard work, he is a passionate advocate for his clients, who are defined by determination and perseverance. William understands that his clients, many of whom find themselves in desperate situations following serious trauma, such as the death of a loved one or experiencing life-altering injuries, are relying on him, and he takes this responsibility personally.
In 2014, William and his team represented 28-year-old paralyzed construction worker Hugo Hernandez against PEPCO (Potomac Energy and Power Company). After a two-week trial against PEPCO in Montgomery County, Maryland, the jury awarded Mr. Hernandez $35.9 million in damages in compensation for the overwhelming cost of Mr. Hernandez’s future medical care as a young, C4 paraplegic as well as for his pain and suffering and loss of income. This was the largest verdict in Montgomery County history and was one of the largest verdicts in American history for an undocumented worker.
In 2019, William represented an undocumented worker who was killed when electrocuted by a power line that was hidden by vegetation, which Dominion Energy had failed to maintain, and a jury returned a $21 million dollar verdict, the largest verdict in the history of Colleton County, SC.
In 2021, William represented a Claflin College student who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a car crash caused by a road construction defect. After a two-week trial, the jury returned a $13.1 million dollar verdict against the road contractor Archer Western and the Department of Transportation, also awarding punitive damages against Archer Western. In all three of these cases, William refused offers of millions of dollars to ensure his clients were fully compensated by a jury.
William was born in Charleston, SC, and with the exception of studying abroad to become fluent in Spanish, he has remained in SC his entire life. He is a graduate of the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina School of Law. As a law student, he received the Public Interest Law Society Grant to work in Washington, D.C., served as vice-president of the Pro Bono Board, and was a student member of the John Belton O’Neal Inn of Court. Following law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable James R. Barber, III, of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of South Carolina before starting in private practice with Motley Rice, one of the largest plaintiff’s firms in the country.
William has a deep commitment to South Carolina and is very involved in his community in Charleston. He serves on the board of the Historic Charleston Foundation and actively supports numerous charitable organizations, including One80 Place, in their fight against homelessness, Communities in Schools, the Coastal Conservation League, and the Southern Environmental Law Center.
William is a regular speaker at various legal conferences, is a member of the American Bar Association and Charleston County Bar Association, and is an active member of the South Carolina Association for Justice. When not working, William and his wife, Lydia, enjoy raising their two children in South Carolina.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, Steve and Yvonne interviewed Lee Hunt of Hunt Law Firm (https://huntlaw.com/).
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Case Details:
James Razo, age 55, suffered a spinal cord injury while working on Only the Brave, a movie about a group of elite hotshot firefighters filmed in 2016. Mr. Razo was transporting camera equipment, which tipped over, crushing him. He suffered a spinal cord injury, internal injuries, and brain damage.
Guest Bio:
Lee Hunt
You want to know more about your lawyer than whether he is capable of handling your case. By the end of the case, you and your lawyer better trust each other, know each and honestly care about each other. My belief is that to help a person in a legal crisis, I must know you as a person – not just another case.That means you should know more about me than where I went to school.
I am a husband. My wife Kristi is a native New Mexican who grew up on a cattle ranch in Roy, New Mexico. Her family settled the ranch back in the early 1940s and have raised cattle and kids there ever since.
I am a father. I have three wonderfully full of life children.
I am also a Christian. My faith and my belief in redemption is what drives me to do this work. I don’t think that you have to be a trial attorney to make the world better and to live in the likeness of Jesus, but it is what makes sense to me. If I can help people in crisis and be a calm witness in the midst of the storm, then maybe God can use that to His Glory.
I am also an athlete. I love to get away from everything with a hard run in early morning hours or a solitary bike ride.
I have raced the Hawaii Ironman twice and ran 100 miles at the Leadville Trail 100. I think balance in life is difficult to find, but even harder to get back aligned when out of whack. Trust me when I say, that I work as hard as anyone I know, but I will always find time for my family and for myself. In the end that time away makes me a better lawyer.
As a lawyer, I have always wanted to try difficult cases to juries. To be respected by the other side, they must know that we are willing to fight all the way to the end and get results in Court. Our track record at trial speaks to who we are and how far we are willing to go to make things right.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, we're replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interviewed Kyle Farrar and Wesley Ball of Farrar and Ball, LLP (http://fbtrial.com/).
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Case Details:
Farrar & Ball trial attorneys Kyle Farrar and Wesley Ball share how they secured justice for Shanika Brown and her infant daughter, who underwent arm and leg amputations, respectively, after being ejected from a car that hit a blown truck tire from a concrete mixer owned by Silvi Concrete on I-295 in New Jersey. The failed Bridgestone L315 tire, which was poorly retreaded by McCarthy Tire and negligently maintained by Silvi Concrete, was left in the roadway and caused the car Brown and her daughter were riding in to swerve and crash. Bridgestone, the original manufacturer of the tire, settled pre-trial. McCarthy Tire settled early in the trial and Silvi Concrete settled with the infant daughter before the case was presented to the jury. A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania jury ultimately assigned 85 percent of the blame to Silvi Concrete. It returned a verdict of $10.6 million to Shanika Brown and $65,000 to Shanika's mother, who was driving the vehicle. Combined with delay damages, the verdict totaled $11.7 million.
Guest Bios:
Kyle Farrar
Kyle Farrar is a veteran litigator with an active trial caseload in state and federal courts across the country. He has secured record jury verdicts and settlements on behalf of individuals injured by dangerous products and reckless and negligent parties. In addition, he has taken leading roles in high-profile multidistrict litigation (MDL) in cases involving dangerous and defective medical products.
Kyle began his career at one of the nation’s largest law firms, representing Fortune 500 companies in multimillion-dollar lawsuits. He founded his firm to focus on representing individuals who have suffered catastrophic injuries caused by tire blowouts, tread separation, and tire failure linked to defective tires and automotive products.
Kyle is a national thought leader regarding tire and vehicle safety, and his work has helped spur manufacturers to improve safety and recall defective products. In this capacity, Kyle routinely assists peers and helps educate lawyers at product liability litigation conferences nationwide. He is often asked to assist as trial counsel in cases and trials, having appeared in Courts in over twenty different states and trying cases to a successful outcome in ten different states.
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Wesley Ball
In 2005 – three years after graduating from Baylor Law School – Wesley Todd Ball co-founded Farrar & Ball, LLP, and built it brick by brick to what it has become today. In 2013, the firm joined forces with Kaster & Lynch, LLP to create Kaster Lynch Farrar & Ball, LLP, one of the top product liability law firms in the nation.
Mr. Ball’s work is concentrated on automotive defect cases, including tire failures, rollover incidents, airbag failures, seat failures, fuel-fed fire cases, and related design and manufacturing defects. In addition, he has extensive experience handling major multiparty products liability litigation against virtually every major domestic and international vehicle manufacturer, tire company, and automotive component manufacturer in both state and federal court. As such, Mr. Ball has tried cases to successful outcomes in eight different states, including Texas, Kentucky, Florida, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Minnesota, California, and New Mexico.
Mr. Ball has earned some of the highest honors in the legal profession, including being selected by peer attorneys to Texas Super Lawyers every year since 2014. From 2009 to 2014, he was one of a very small number of Texas lawyers to be recognized by Texas Super Lawyers and its companion Rising Stars publication simultaneously. The National Trial Lawyers organization has named him to its 40 under 40 and, most recently, among is National Top 100 Trial Lawyers. In 2017, Mr. Ball was elected to and currently serves on the Attorneys Information Exchange Group (AIEG) executive board, which focuses on obtaining successful outcomes in the product liability arena against mainly Fortune 100 companies.
Mr. Ball is a frequent media commentator on matters of product liability and other legal issues and has been featured in media outlets, including the Houston Chronicle, CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, CBS, ABC, and others.
Over a career spanning nearly 20 years, Mr. Ball has taken dozens of cases to trial and earned multiple jury verdicts exceeding eight figures. Clients represented by Mr. Ball have collectively recovered more than $150 million in awards and settlements.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, Steve and Yvonne interviewed Matt Cook of Cook Law Group LLC (www.cook-lawgroup.com) and Shane Lazenby of Lazenby Law Group (lazlawgroup.com).
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Case Details:
On April 23, 2016, a fatal crash resulted in the loss of Taliah Freeman, a 32-year-old resident of Gainesville, GA, who lost her life in a devastating collision along Interstate 85 in Gwinnett County. Sandra Gallo, Freeman's mother, brought the case on behalf of her six-year-old son. The defendants in the case were C&T Durham Trucking Company of Greensboro, North Carolina, and ACE American Insurance Company. The case ended nearly eight years later, with a settlement totaling $10 million between the parties, with approximately 95% of the settlement amount going to Freeman's family. Source
Guest Bios:
Matt Cook
Matt grew up in Northeast Georgia, the son of a single mom. While he and his mother had very little worldly means, they had grit, determination and a commitment to decency and fairness. Matt’s upbringing gave him a healthy respect for hard work and for standing up for the underdog. Matt spent three years working in cotton mills and other manual labor jobs before graduating college and attending law school. After graduating law school, Matt joined a nationally renowned trial lawyer firm where he spent six years as an associate and five years as a partner handling a broad range of complex, catastrophic injury and death cases across the United States ranging from trucking collisions to product liability claims and everything in between. Matt is a frequent speaker at trial lawyer seminars, has published numerous articles, and has served as an expert witness in several cases. Matt is an aviation enthusiast and has his private pilot’s license. Matt’s unique style, genuine empathy, ability to relate to juries, and fearlessness have led to hundreds of millions of dollars of recoveries for clients. Matt has secured more than $225 million for clients in just the past 10 years.
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Shane Lazenby
Shane Lazenby is the founder and managing member of Lazenby Law Group. After more than a decade of defending those accused of negligence in personal injury cases, Shane decided to reverse course and help the victims of serious injuries. With unparalleled compassion and limitless commitment, Shane quickly learned how much more rewarding and uplifting service as a victim’s advocate can be. Shane now focuses his practice on helping the victims of catastrophic personal injury and the families whose loved ones have passed as a result of the negligence of another.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Jude Basile of The Basile Law Firm (https://www.basilelaw.com/).
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Guest Bio:
Jude Basille
Jude first began practicing law in 1982. Over the years, he has earned numerous awards as a result of his fierce dedication to protecting families and people. Jude has been named Trial Lawyer of the Year four times, and Outstanding Trial Lawyer nine times by various trial lawyer organizations. He is the only lawyer between Los Angeles and San Francisco to be part of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates, a national invitation-only organization that includes only the 100 top plaintiff trial lawyers in the United States. In addition, he has earned the highest rating among his peers in the legal community while enjoying the friendship and gratitude of his clients.
Nothing gives him more satisfaction, however, than finding out and overcoming injustice in the form of abuse of power and corporate greed - a mission he began in childhood. Those who know Jude best will tell you he demonstrates a depth of intensity that even those who oppose him in the courtroom cannot deny. He is simply the very best at what he does, and believes in quality over quantity when it comes to caseload, spending time with his clients in order to better understand each unique situation.
Jude is an invited speaker and presenter at numerous State Bar Associations and invited to teach at various Trial Lawyer programs.
EDUCATION
University of Notre DameEdinboro University of Pennsylvania B.A. Social ScienceIndiana University of Pennsylvania M.S. BusinessThomas Jefferson School of Law J.D. with honorsBAR ADMISSIONS
US Supreme CourtCalifornia 1982Georgia 1982 (inactive)US Federal CourtRead Full Bio
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Lee Hunt of The Hunt Law Firm (https://huntlaw.com/).
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Case Details:
Top 25 New Mexico Super Lawyers honoree Lee Hunt discusses how he secured justice for Eric and Luke Armstrong, two brothers who were hit by bullet fragments fired from neighboring hunters on Express Ranches, LLC’s Atmore Ranch. Their guide mistakenly told the hunters that their targets were between 240 and 250 yards away, causing them to aim high at the elk, which were actually only 160 yards away. While walking on the main road between Atmore Ranch and neighboring Ute Creek Ranch, Luke was hit in the mouth with a bullet fragment, which left him with permanent facial nerve damage and a numb limp. Eric had a bullet fragment lodged in his abdomen. A New Mexico jury found Express Ranches, LLC negligent for failing to adhere to safe hunting practices and awarded $5,256,000 in damages to the Armstrong brothers.
Guest Bio:
Lee Hunt
You want to know more about your lawyer than whether he is capable of handling your case. By the end of the case, you and your lawyer better trust each other, know each and honestly care about each other. I believe that to help a person in a legal crisis, I must know you as a person – not just another case. That means you should know more about me than where I went to school.
I am a husband. My wife Kristi is a native New Mexican who grew up on a cattle ranch in Roy, New Mexico. Her family settled on the ranch in the early 1940s and have raised cattle and kids there ever since.
I am a father. I have three wonderfully full-of-life children.
I am also a Christian. My faith and my belief in redemption is what drives me to do this work. I don’t think that you have to be a trial attorney to make the world better and to live in the likeness of Jesus, but it is what makes sense to me. If I can help people in crisis and be a calm witness in the midst of the storm, then maybe God can use that to His Glory.
I am also an athlete. I love getting away from everything with a hard run in the early morning or a solitary bike ride.
I have raced the Hawaii Ironman twice and ran 100 miles at the Leadville Trail 100. I think balance in life is challenging to find, but even harder to get back aligned when out of whack. Trust me when I say that I work as hard as anyone I know, but I will always find time for my family and myself. In the end, that time away made me a better lawyer.
As a lawyer, I have always wanted to try difficult cases to juries. To be respected by the other side, they must know that we are willing to fight all the way to the end and get results in Court. Our track record at trial speaks to who we are and how far we are willing to go to make things right.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview William Ricigliano of Ricigliano and Filopei, P.C. (www.rfinjurylaw.com).
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Case Details:
One of America’s Top 100 Attorneys, William Ricigliano shares how he secured justice for Jason Kowalsky, a Verizon technician in New York who was hit by a negligent driver in a Suffolk County Parks, Recreation & Conservation pickup truck. Jason was collecting safety cones and putting away his equipment when the driver struck him from behind with enough force to thrust him into the roadway and push his parked vehicle forward. Jason sustained damage to his knee and back, requiring surgery and a costly chronic pain management regimen. Despite the defense’s attempts to pin Jason’s back injury on pre-existing conditions, a Suffolk County, New York jury returned a $5,088,000 verdict.
Guest Bio:
William Ricigliano
William Ricigliano is the founding partner of Ricigliano & Filopei, P.C. with offices in Manhattan, the Bronx, and soon, West New York, New Jersey. Mr. Ricigliano founded the firm with the single goal of helping victims of catastrophic personal injury on both sides of the Hudson River. He has obtained significant verdicts in every borough of New York City, Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk counties, and various counties in New Jersey. He has been named a Metro Area Super Lawyer every year since 2013 and has been named as one of America’s Top 100 Attorneys.
Mr. Ricigliano’s victories in the courtroom have provided the opportunity to focus his attention on various areas of specialty. A $3.775 million verdict in Suffolk County for an 8-year-old boy who suffered a traumatic brain injury and required a lifetime of medical care sparked Mr. Ricigliano’s devotion to victims of traumatic brain injury. Similarly, a $2.6 million settlement after three weeks of trial in Brooklyn influenced his work with clients suffering from complex regional pain disorder, a chronic pain condition caused by trauma.
Mr. Ricigliano has also dedicated his practice to representing construction workers who sustain life-altering injuries on the job. These hard-working men and women include carpenters, ironworkers, roofers, and industrial bridge painters, who typically cannot return to their former occupations.
A significant portion of his practice is also related to handling spinal injuries, including a 5 million verdict in Suffolk County in 2015 for a Verizon Technician who was struck by a Suffolk County Parks vehicle, was forced to undergo spinal surgery, and never returned to work. Mr. Ricigliano’s trial results have been included as the verdict of the year on multiple occasions.
Mr. Ricigliano graduated from Touro Law School in Huntington, New York, in 1994 in the top 20% of his class and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Cum Laude, in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts in 1989. He is a proud member of the North American Brain Injury Society, the American Association for Justice and is on the Board of Directors for Pink Concussions. Mr. Ricigliano has authored more than thirty legal articles and a legal book, Premises Liability Claims: A Guide to Defending Owners.
Facebook: facebook.com/rfinjurylaw
Instagram: @rfinjurylaw
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Jordan Strokovsky of Strokovsky LLC (https://actionafterinjury.com/).
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Case Details:
Jordan won his client a $30 million recovery against Temple University Hospital in one of the largest medical malpractice cases in Pennsylvania's history. Despite the hospital's denial of wrongdoing, Jordan refused their offer of $3 million and prepared tirelessly for court to ensure a just outcome for his client. The hospital admitted fault and the jury awarded $25.9M to Jordan's Mr. Parks ($6M for future medical costs and $20M for pain and suffering) after a comprehensive investigation and a hard-fought trial.
The hospital hired three law firms in an attempt to overturn the verdict and offered a settlement less than the awarded amount. Jordan's client refused to settle, and Jordan won every argument against the big firms. The court refused the hospital's request to reduce the verdict, and $3.7 million in delay damages were added. The total recovery now exceeds $30 million, including over $600,000 in interest. No appeal was filed.
Guest Bio:
Jordan Strokovsky
Jordan Strokovsky is a trial lawyer serving the catastrophically injured in a diverse range of cases, including medical malpractice, birth injury, truck accidents, fires, explosions, plane crashes, premises liability, product liability, workplace injuries, toxic torts, civil rights, car accidents, and sexual assault.
His hard work ethic, integrity, and compassion earn him the trust of his clients and the respect of his opponents. These attributes have also helped him obtain significant verdicts and settlements. For good reason, many lawyers refer or seek to co-counsel their serious injury and wrongful death cases with Jordan.
Jordan handles countless catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases and routinely handles cases pro bono to help his community. His volunteer work includes taking a civil rights case to verdict with the Volunteer Attorney Panel of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, representing victims of sexual abuse with the Support Center for Child Advocates, and successfully handling various cases from Philadelphia VIP. He has been recognized by the court for his service and was a featured volunteer by Philadelphia VIP.
As an animal lover and dog owner, Jordan has also championed animal rights causes, helping establish that pets should not be viewed as property under the law.
He also serves on the Pennsylvania Association for Justice Board of Directors and has previously served on boards for non-profits that help animals, homeless people, and refugees.
Jordan is the former co-chair of the State Civil Litigation Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and was proud to help implement town halls at the start of the pandemic, which allowed the court and legal community to communicate during those uncertain times. He now co-chairs both the Civil Rules and Wellness Committees at the bar association. Jordan has served as an adjunct law school professor and occasionally speaks at seminars to other personal injury lawyers. He is also regularly asked by news outlets to provide legal commentary.
Jordan graduated from Widener University Delaware Law School as Valedictorian of his class, where several of his professors would comment that his academic performance and mind for the law were among the most impressive they had ever seen. While in school, he interned with three Philadelphia judges: the Honorable M. Faith Angell (E.D. Pa), the Honorable Arnold L. New (Common Pleas), and the Honorable Paul P. Panepinto (Common Pleas) and used these internships as opportunities to get in the courtroom and watch many trials. He was also a member of the Law Review. After his commencement speech at graduation, the Governor of Delaware declared that he would never want to follow Jordan in speaking again.
While practicing law full-time, Jordan obtained a Master of Law in Trial Advocacy at the nationally renowned Temple University Beasley School of Law LL.M. Program in the Spring of 2018, where he received special recognition from the faculty for his trial performances and was a jury favorite—earning the highest scores from the jury at his showcase trial.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Dan Blouin and Jim Kramer of Simmons, Hanly, Conroy (https://www.simmonsfirm.com/).
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Case Details:
Accomplished mesothelioma and asbestos attorneys Dan Blouin and Jim Kramer explain how they secured justice for the family of laborer Pietro Macaluso, who died from mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos dust while servicing and removing boilers. Despite the fact they knew it was hazardous, three boiler manufacturers used asbestos-filled insulation, cement, gaskets, tape and wire in their equipment and failed to warn workers like Pietro of potential health hazards or to offer safe handling methods. A New York City jury found the three manufacturers negligent and assigned 25 percent of the blame for Pietro's wrongful death to each company, along with smaller percentages to seven other manufacturers. The jury awarded a $60 million verdict, including 21 years of compensation to Pietro's son and daughter.
Guest Bios:
Dan Blouin
Attorney Daniel Patrick Blouin is a shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy in the asbestos litigation department. Based in the firm’s New York office, Daniel has secured hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of clients diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. In his frequent role as lead trial-attorney and co-counsel, he has litigated against numerous national corporations involved in the manufacture and sale of dangerous products and equipment. He involves himself with every aspect of the litigation process, from client intake to discovery, to motion practice through trial verdict, keeping his clients’ needs and rights foremost in his priorities.
In 2013, Daniel obtained a $190 million verdict on behalf of two tradesmen who developed mesothelioma decades after their occupational exposure to asbestos. The verdict was the largest consolidated asbestos verdict in New York history. In addition, the $60 million the two cancer patients received ranked among the largest individual damages awarded in a New York asbestos case. In 2014 and 2015, Daniel had unprecedented successes at trial in Delaware, New York City and Upstate New York. He obtained excellent settlements for clients before and during trial and won a jury verdict in a very contentious case in Syracuse, New York. In 2018, Daniel and fellow shareholder Jim Kramer secured a $60 million verdict in New York City against boiler manufacturers A.O Smith, Burnham, LLC, and Peerless Industries, Inc. This historic verdict, secured on behalf of a former laborer, marks one of the highest verdicts for an individual with mesothelioma ever received in New York. Later that year, Daniel and Jim secured a $40.1 million verdict against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. on behalf of a United States war veteran and former naval boiler tender suffering from pleural mesothelioma. This verdict is considered one of the largest compensatory verdicts in New York State.
Daniel is a recognized member of the renowned National Trial Lawyers “Top 40 under 40” for 2014 and 2015. Also in 2014 and 2015, the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys named him a winner of its “Top Ten Under 40” award and is a member of the American Bar Association and the New York Bar Association.
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Jim Kramer
Attorney Jim Kramer is a shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy. He joined the firm in 2017 an accomplished trial attorney, having secured more than $35 million in verdicts for his clients. Jim focuses his practice on complex toxic tort litigation with a specialization in mesothelioma- and asbestos-related cases. His responsibilities include managing cases from inception through trial.
Jim knew from a young age that he wanted to be an attorney and devote his life to fighting on behalf of those who had been wronged by others.
“I have always been attracted to professions that allow people to help others in need,” he said. “Being a trial attorney allows me to do that. I truly consider myself a zealous advocate, one who genuinely enjoys fighting for those need a voice in their most difficult times.”
Jim brings this passion to every case he tries. One of the most important things to him in an attorney-client relationship is the personal connection forged between the two.
“I pride myself on my ability to form strong connections with my clients,” he said. “I understand that being involved in a legal case is not ideal, especially at such a rough time in their lives. It’s important to me that clients know that I am there for them at any time on any day. In my opinion, being an effective advocate doesn’t end with merely hearing about the facts of a client’s case. Being able to relate and connect with human beings who need their stories to be told is the most fundamental part of our profession. Even when my representation ends, I find that the bond I form with clients continues.”
Jim’s devotion to his clients is mirrored by the attention he gives to the details of each case.
“I always view every case from the perspective of a possible trial – what facts need to be brought out, where exposures might have occurred, and what legal outcomes we can anticipate and prepare for right from the start,” he said. “I genuinely enjoy the research and preparation that goes into making sure that a legal argument or trial will go as well as it can.”
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Brian Brown of Brown and Barron, LLC (https://www.brownbarron.com/).
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Case Details:
Accomplished Baltimore trial lawyer Brian Brown explains how he secured justice for Ashley Partlow, who was subjected to the Kennedy Krieger Institute's negligent Lead-Based Paint Abatement and Repair and Maintenance Study. Designed to identify the least expensive solution to a nationwide lead paint and dust problem, the study monitored blood lead levels in children under 4 years of age who were living in homes with unhealthy levels of poisonous lead dust. Ashley was too old to be an official test subject but was still exposed to high levels of lead dust through the study. As a result of her exposure, Ashley suffers from permanent brain damage and struggles with learning disabilities and behavior issues. After a month-long trial, a Baltimore City, Maryland jury returned a verdict of $1,841,000 in damages in this landmark case.
Guest Bio:
Brian S. Brown
Brian S. Brown, one of the firm’s founding partners, as well as its Managing Member, has over thirty years of experience as a trial lawyer and focuses his practice on litigating medical malpractice and nursing home abuse cases.
Brian has tried well over 100 tort cases and has obtained multiple multi-million dollar verdicts. Over his career, he has recovered more than $175 million for his clients, through both trial and settlement. In addition to his trial experience, Brian has extensive appellate experience, having appeared before the Maryland Court of Appeals twelve times, and the Court of Special Appeals more than fifty times.
He is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Brian is currently a member of the Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ) and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). Brian has presented on legal topics in a variety of settings, including for the Inn of Court, and over ten times for HB Litigation Conferences. He has also presented to the entire bench of the Circuit Court of Baltimore City regarding the evolving law of expert testimony in Maryland.
Brian has been named as a Super Lawyer, and he has been selected as a member of both the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and of the prestigious Litigation Counsel of America.
Outside of his legal work, Brian has served as the President of the Board for the Maryland Disability Law Center (now known as Disability Rights Maryland), and has volunteered with other civic organizations, including with the Upton School Foundation and with Higher Achievement.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview T Scott Jones of Banks and Jones (https://www.banksjones.com/).
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Case Details:
Acclaimed Tennessee trial lawyer T. Scott Jones shares how he secured justice for his client, a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by a prominent Greeneville, Tennessee businessman and funeral homeowner who avoided meaningful criminal charges through a pre-trial diversion program and two years of probation. In his late 50s at the time of the statutory rape, the businessman posed as an 18-year-old on a website and targeted minors. The plaintiff suffered severe physical injuries, requiring hospitalization and continued medical treatment. A Greene County, Tennessee jury held the defendant accountable when it returned a verdict of $525,000, including $300,000 in compensatory damages and $225,000 in punitive damages.
Guest Bio:
T. Scott Jones
Scott Jones is a fierce trial lawyer and a zealous advocate for his clients. Well-regarded in his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, T. Scott has received numerous accolades and awards. Multiple times, his peers in the legal field have voted him one of Knoxville’s Top Attorneys in polls conducted by CityView magazine. He has the highest possible AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell and is regarded as one of the preeminent attorneys in the southeastern United States. T. Scott’s successful litigation for his clients has qualified him for the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He has been named one of Tennessee’s 10 Best Attorneys by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys and the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, and the American Society of Legal Advocates named him one of Tennessee’s Top 100 Litigation Lawyers. He has also been nationally recognized as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America by the National Trial Lawyers. America’s Top 100 Attorneys has awarded him a Lifetime Achievement award, and T. Scott is a Lifetime Charter Member of the Distinguished Justice Advocates. He has been named one of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators in the state of Tennessee, and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel placed T. Scott into the Nation’s Top One Percent. He is currently serving as Vice President of the TN American Board of Trial Advocates (TN ABOTA) Chapter and regularly participates in trial practice-related teaching opportunities.
Scott knows the importance of interacting with colleagues to stay abreast of developments and changes in the legal world. T. Scott frequently teaches CLE courses on trial strategy, teaching other lawyers his methods for success in the courtroom, and is certified as a Rule 31 Mediator in the Tennessee Supreme Court. He is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the National Trial Lawyers, and the Tennessee and American Associations for Justice. In addition, T. Scott is licensed to practice in all three United States District Courts for the state of Tennessee, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Scott constantly gives back to his community by selectively handling numerous pro bono cases each year, and he works extensively with the Kerbela Shriners of Knoxville and Shriners Hospitals for Children. He is on the Advisory Board of the University of Tennessee College of Law Institute for Professional Leadership, has received the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award from Lions Club International, and is also an active member of the Royal Order of Jesters, Order of Quetzalcoatl, Rotary Club of Downtown Knoxville, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks as well as having served as the Master of Cherokee Lodge #728 F&AM.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview John Duff and Alex Hilliard of Hilliard Martinez Gonzalez LLP (https://www.hmglawfirm.com/).
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Case Details:
Texas trial attorneys John Duff and Alex Hilliard of Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP share how they secured justice for the family of 60-year-old truck driver Juan Perez, who died after falling through Rodriguez Trucking’s rotted roof onto a cement floor 12 feet below. Juan was a dedicated employee of Rodriguez Trucking for 17 years, contrary to the defense’s claims that he was not employed by the company at the time of the incident, and was asked to help repair the roof without a safety harness or training of any kind, both of which resulted in a serious Office of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violation. A San Patricio County, Texas jury found Rodriguez Trucking owner Isaac G. Rodriguez, Sr. negligent and returned a verdict of $18 million, including $10 million in punitive damages.
Guest Bios:
Alex Hilliard
Alex Hilliard is a dedicated advocate for those who have been injured or have lost a loved one due to another party’s negligence. Alex is committed to championing his clients’ interests, understanding the challenges they face, and helping them secure compensation for their losses.
Alex’s top priority is achieving the most just case resolution for his clients, be it trial or settlement, which is seen in his tireless investigation and persistence. He has distinguished himself with the loyalty and support he shows to his clients in his determination to ensure that their voices are heard.
His kindhearted nature makes him perfect for his position in personal injury and wrongful death cases – he handles clients with the sensitivity that is required yet is committed to researching and crafting a strategy that strengthens each case. He brings passion on behalf of those he serves and shares empathy with those victims of tragedy at all times.
Having clerked at HMG for three years while attending St. Mary’s Law School, Alex worked on many aspects of personal injury and wrongful death litigation, including the high-profile ignition-switch litigation against General Motors. HMG represented injury victims and families of those killed in accidents caused by GM’s defective ignition switch and their concealment of safety defects. This multi-district litigation is considered the single largest product liability litigation in US history, resulting in a $575 million settlement.
In September 2018, Alex was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Litigation Committee for the MSU/Nassar Class-Action in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.
Currently, Alex is part of a class action litigation team that represents diesel truck owners fighting against U.S. auto manufacturers — Ford, General Motors, FCA (Chrysler) — for allegedly selling millions of diesel trucks equipped with defective CP4 fuel injection pumps that disintegrate and destroy the truck’s engine, leaving consumers with repair bills that range from $8,000.00 to $20,000.00 per vehicle.
Alex is a sought-after speaker, and he regularly presents on cutting-edge legal topics. This year, Alex will address audiences across the country about how law firms can improve results by conducting in-house mock trials. In the past year, Alex has lectured at the Advanced Personal Injury Law Conference in Dallas on the latest tactics in the financial aspect of budgeting a personal injury lawsuit and was a featured speaker at the Texas ALP 2018 Fall Education Conference. Alex regularly speaks at continuing education events for the Texas Bar College and the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Civil Trial, Civil Appellate, and Personal Injury Trial Law, and was honored to speak at the 2018 LitiQuest Litiquest 2018 conference at Google Headquarters in New York.
Alex often gives back to his community by working with local middle school, high school, and college mock trial teams. He enjoys working with the students and helping them expand their knowledge of mock trial techniques.
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John Duff
John C. Duff earned his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas, after graduating Presidential Scholar from Texas A&M University-Commerce. While pursuing his Juris Doctorate Degree, John was involved in St. Mary’s School of Law’s External Mock Trial Advocacy Program. John received numerous awards for his trial advocacy skills, including Best Defense Advocate at the Capital City Challenge in Washington D.C.
John was also the leader of the team that brought St. Mary’s its first national championship from the William Daniel National Invitational Mock Trial Competition in Atlanta, Georgia. For his relentless dedication and performance on the St. Mary’s Mock Trial team, John was inducted into the Order of the Barristers National Honor Society in April 2016.
While earning his Juris Doctorate degree and competing for the St. Mary’s Mock Trial team, John also gained extensive real-world practice experience clerking for three criminal defense attorneys in San Antonio specializing in federal criminal and juvenile law.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Tom Bosworth of Bosworth Law (https://tombosworthlaw.com/).
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Case Details:
Attorney Tom Bosworth achieved a historic milestone by becoming the youngest lawyer in Pennsylvania to secure an eight-figure jury verdict as the lead counsel in a medical malpractice case for a living client. The case involved a medical malpractice victim who was awarded a $19.7 million verdict by a Philadelphia jury, due to a failure to diagnose. After years of seeing the same primary care physician, a woman's complaints about back pain and other symptoms were repeatedly dismissed. She sought the help of a neurologist, who discovered a mass on her spine. Unfortunately, the mass had already caused several complications, including incontinence, pain, and difficulty walking. As a result, she was left partially paralyzed and unable to continue working.
Guest Bio:
Thomas Bosworth
At age 33, Tom Bosworth became the youngest lawyer in the history of Pennsylvania to obtain a jury verdict in excess of $10 million for a living client as lead counsel (the total verdict being over $19 million). Three months prior to that, after two weeks as lead counsel at trial, Bosworth secured a $7 million settlement on behalf of a mother whose mentally disabled adult son wrongfully died in a group home. Bosworth also obtained multiple non-monetary terms in this settlement that were only agreed to by the defendant after two weeks of trial. In the past 5 years, Bosworth has been counsel on various additional jury trials and settlements totaling over $80 million. These cases included ones for medical malpractice, product liability, and wrongful death.
Recently, Bosworth was designated by the independent attorney group Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Pennsylvania, a designation reserved for the top 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state who are 40 or younger or practicing 10 years or less. Bosworth attended Temple University Beasley School of Law from where he graduated in 2016 with magna cum laude and Order of the Coif distinction. During law school, Bosworth participated as a member of Temple’s nationally ranked Trial Team and as a Research Editor of the Temple Law Review. Following law school, Bosworth was a law clerk to the Honorable Lawrence Stengel in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Read Full Bio
Show Sponsors:
Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com
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Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com
Free Resources:
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
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