The trial: Stevens v. JRK Trucking
The attorney: Michael Goldberg
Case summary: Ronnie Stevens suffered wrist and ankle injuries in a motorcycle crash he contended was caused when a JRK Trucking dump truck struck an orange construction barrel, sending it into Stevens' path.
Synopsis: In his opening, Goldberg paints the trial as one primarily over liability, and spends little time on non-economic damages. Importantly, however, he contends that the damages in the case "aren't disputed; they're bad damages." This sets up the idea that the injury is one warranting millions of dollars, despite only $171,000 in medical expenses. Indeed, the defense would dispute the amount plaintiff sought in the case, but by stating that the damages are undisputed, Goldberg has set the tone for the injury's severity. Goldberg acknowledges that Stevens' wrist injury had largely healed without incident, lending credibility to his subsequent descriptions of Stevens' shattered ankle, the multiple surgeries that followed, and the pain and limitations with which Goldberg says Stevens has learned to live.
The verdict: $8 million.