Fri., 3/9/07, Calhoun, GA.

In a scene reminiscent of the 1982 Paul Newman movie, “The Verdict,” the jury after three hours of deliberation Thursday afternoon sent a note to the judge asking if they were limited by the amount the plaintiff asked for. In closing argument I had asked for a verdict of approximately $1.2 million for our client’s badly fractured femur. When we got that question from the jury, my first thought was that I don’t drink anywhere near enough to fit the Paul Newman role in the movie.

Today we won a $2,345,940.17 jury verdict against a Pennsylvania trucking company in the Superior Court of Gordon County, Calhoun, Georgia. The verdict was broken down as follows: compensatory damages: $1,742,845.70, attorney fees due to bad faith and/or stubborn litigiousness, $580,948.57, expenses of litigation $ 22,145.90. Medical expenses were $112,228. The highest offer from defendant’s insurance company before trial was $125,000, going up to $400,000 on third day of trial. This was nearly three times the highest previous verdict in the history of Gordon County.

It was a very good week.

This post came from the atlantainjurylawblog.com and I felt the need to post it for two reasons. First, “The Verdict” is one of my all-time favorite films. Second, I love to hear about a bold lawyer who turns down an unreasonable settlement offer and instead allows a jury to decide a case. Nice work, indeed!