In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey welcome two remarkable guests, trial lawyer Nick Liakas and jury consultant Jessica Brylo. They dive deep into the fascinating case of Maruf Hossain vs. the New York City Transit Authority, resulting in a $22,750,000 verdict.

CASE SUMMARY: 

The case revolves around Hossein, a caterer who suffered catastrophic injuries, including the amputation of his foot, after falling onto subway tracks due to a known defective rubbing board at the Parkchester station. Nick and Jessica share their strategies in overcoming significant defense arguments, which included claims of suicide and witness testimony from a dubious eyewitness. (Read more on the case)

Nicholas Liakas is a Senior Partner at Liakas Law, where he leads the firm’s most complex and high-profile litigation. A nationally recognized personal injury and civil rights trial attorney, he is known for securing some of the top verdicts and settlements in New York State. Over the course of his career, Nicholas has been responsible for recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for injured victims and their families. He has represented thousands of clients,

Jessica Brylo: 

Jessica Brylo is the owner and lead litigation consultant at Trial Dynamics, a consulting firm dedicated to plaintiff’s civil litigation. She specializes in case framing, jury research, focus groups, mock trials, big data studies, opening statement development, witness preparation, and jury selection. Over the past two decades, Ms. Brylo has spoken to thousands of jurors and conducted hundreds of mock trials, the results of which she uses to guide case strategy and framing on several 7-9 figure catastrophic injury cases and multi-billion dollar class-action lawsuits. (FULL BIO)

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

Nicholas Liakas - Liakas Law

Liakas Law on Facebook

Liakas Law on Instagram

Liakas Law on LinkedIn

Jessica Brylo - Trial Dynamics

Jessica Brylo on LinkedIn

Jessica Brylo on Instagram

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM:

Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week Steve and Yvonne interview Brian Beckcom of VB Attorneys (https://www.vbattorneys.com/).

Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review

View/Download Trial Documents

Case Details:

The crew of the Maersk Alabama was attacked and taken hostage by Somali pirates. The events were depicted in a Hollywood blockbuster called “Captain Phillips” starring Tom Hanks. Brian and his firm countered a massive Hollywood publicity campaign that portrayed Captain Phillips as a hero and the crew as lazy layabouts, when in fact the exact opposite was true. The case resulted in a confidential settlement for each crew member. It also changed the way the shipping industry provides security to the men and women who travel in dangerous, pirate-infested waters

Guest Bio:

Brian Beckcom

Brian Beckcom is one of the leading lawyers of his generation. Brian's peers have voted him a Texas Super Lawyer 14 years in a row, and every single year he has been eligible. Brian is also a Board Certified Expert in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a recognition shared by less than 2% of lawyers.

Brian has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients, and he and his law firm have obtained record-setting settlements and verdicts in a wide variety of significant legal cases.

Brian is also a Computer Scientist & Philosopher. He created and hosts the popular podcast "Lesson from Leaders with Brian Beckcom."

Brian is a military "brat," a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a single-digit golfer, a former college basketball player at Texas A&M, a four-year member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, and an accomplished freshwater and saltwater fly fisherman.

Brian is an honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. He is the author of 6 books and hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics.

Brian has successfully prosecuted many high profile cases. The national and international media has covered Brian's work on these complex cases.

Read Full Bio

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM:

Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry sits down with Margaret Battersby Black and Seth Cardeli from Levin & Perconti about their successful $20 million verdict in a birth trauma case.

CASE SUMMARY: The case involved Anthony Harris, who was born with severe brain damage due to alleged medical errors during labor. Margaret and Seth discussed the complexities of birth trauma cases, emphasizing the importance of vigilance in monitoring fetal heart rates and recognizing signs of distress. They highlighted the multiple errors made by the medical team, including delayed C-section and misinterpretation of fetal heart monitor readings. The case was tried over three weeks in Cook County, Illinois, resulting in a significant verdict for the family. (Full details on the case)

Margaret Battersby Black BIO: 

Margaret Battersby Black is an award-winning attorney who has played a key role in a number of nursing home and medical malpractice cases at Levin & Perconti. Her commitment to her practice has achieved noteworthy results for clients in all types of personal injury, nursing home and malpractice matters. Margaret is also committed to the advancement of women in the legal profession and serves as a mentor to law students and younger lawyers. In 2023 she was bestowed the “Carole K. Bellows Women of Influence” award which honors those who are advocates for action addressing women’s issues and promote involvement by women in the legal community at all levels. (READ FULL BIO)

Seth Cardeli BIO:

With more than a decade of experience, Seth L. Cardeli is a skilled trial attorney representing families across the country who have suffered as a result of medical negligence and malpractice, including children who have been injured during labor and delivery. Seth is well-versed in the many complex legal and medical issues surrounding birth injury claims. He regularly conducts educational seminars for other attorneys on important aspects of litigation, such as taking depositions and dealing with obstacles to the discovery process. Seth recently gave a lecture on Basic Fetal Heart Rate Patterns, Nomenclature, and Etiology, in which he taught lawyers how to interpret electronic fetal heart rate tracings used to gain valuable information about babies during labor. (READ FULL BIO)

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

Levin & Perconti on INSTAGRAM

Levin & Perconti on FACEBOOK

Levin & Perconti on TIKTOK

Levin & Perconti on LINKEDIN

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM:

Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey talk to renowned trial lawyer Joe Fried from Fried Goldberg LLC about the landmark case, Bradfield vs. Amazon Logistics, which resulted in a $16.2 million verdict.

The case involved an 8-year-old boy, Gabe Bradfield, who suffered severe injuries after being struck and dragged by an Amazon delivery van. (More details on the case here)

Joe Fried

Joe Fried is one of the original truck accident lawyers in the country and is widely recognized as a top attorney in the field. His passion for what he does shines through, and his reputation and record-setting results speak for themselves. Joe has litigated cases in more than 43 states, which gives him an unmatched perspective, and his leadership in the field of truck accident law and trucking safety is second to none.

Joe is known as one of the principal founders of truck accident law as a unique field. He has changed the way truck crash cases are handled, helping Fried Goldberg LLC earn a national reputation. Joe is credited with developing many of the best practices used by lawyers nationally in truck accident investigation and truck accident litigation.

(Read full bio)

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

Fried Goldberg LLC

Fried Goldberg on LinkedIn

Joe Fried on LinkedIn 

Fried Goldberg on Facebook

Fried Goldberg on Instagram

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM:

Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, host Steve Lowry interviews Nathan Werksman of Merson Law and Sam Martin of Patrick Malone & Associates to dissect their recent $2.3 million medical malpractice verdict in the case Weil v. Dr. Alhindawi.

(More details on the case)

Guest Bio:

Nathan Werksman

As a trial attorney at Merson Law PLLC, Nathan Werksman fights for the injured and wronged in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death litigation and is a leader in the New York legal community. His work on behalf of injured New Yorkers has been featured on Good Morning America and Eyewitness News ABC 7 New York and in The New York Times, The New York Post, and Rolling Stone Magazine.

Nathan is very involved in the New York legal community and in making New York a more just place for the injured. He is the Deputy Treasurer of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, is the Chair of the Products Liability Committee at the New York City Bar Association and is on the Executive Committee of the UJA’s Young Lawyers Division. He was also selected to serve on the 2024 Supreme Court Independent Judicial Screening Panel, which plays a critical role in selecting the Supreme Court judges in Manhattan.

Read Full Bio

Sam Martin

Sam Martin joins the team at Patrick Malone & Associates having already represented plaintiffs in a variety of cases including individual injuries, discrimination lawsuits, consumer class actions and mass torts. Sam grew up in West Warwick, Rhode Island. He earned a B.A. in Political Science at Yale

Read Full Bio

CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS:

Nathan Werksman on LinkedIn

Merson Law, PLLC on Instagram

Sam Martin on LinkedIn

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM:

Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey sit down with Jim Tuxbury from Hinckley, Allen and Snyder to discuss the landmark Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation case of Carlos Domenech vs. Terraform Power and Terraform Global.

Case Details:

Hinckley Allen secured a historic victory with a $34.5 million recovery in favor of its client, Carlos Domenech Zornoza (Mr. Domenech), marking the culmination of a nine-year legal battle. This is the largest documented recovery for a Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation claim since the statute was enacted in 2005 following the Enron scandal. (More details on the case)

Guest Bio:

Jim Tuxbury

Jim is a partner and trial lawyer in our litigation practice, focusing primarily on complex commercial business disputes and securities litigation, as well as product liability, white-collar defense, and government investigations. As a trial lawyer, Jim has litigated and tried cases in state and federal court in Massachusetts and throughout the country. Recently, Jim prevailed in the trial of a Sarbanes Oxley Whistleblower case on behalf of the former CEO of Terraform Power Inc. and Terraform Global, Inc. and obtained a $34.5 million recovery for his client after the Court found the defendants were liable for unlawfully terminating their former CEO in retaliation for his whistleblowing activities.

Read Full Bio

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:

Jim Tuxbury on LinkedIn

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM:

Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week, Steve and Yvonne interviewed Lee Hunt of Hunt Law Firm (https://huntlaw.com/).

Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review

View/Download Trial Documents

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.

Read Full Bio

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM:

Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week Steve and Yvonne interview Jude Basile of The Basile Law Firm (https://www.basilelaw.com/).

Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review

View/Download Trial Documents

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

BAR ADMISSIONS 

Read Full Bio

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM:

Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week Steve and Yvonne interview Tom Bosworth of Bosworth Law (https://tombosworthlaw.com/).

Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review

View/Download Trial Documents

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

LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM:

Great Trials Podcast

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services 

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Production Team:

Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week Steve and Yvonne interview Jordan Strokovsky of Strokovsky LLC (https://actionafterinjury.com/).

Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review

View/Download Trial Documents

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.

Read Full Bio

Show Sponsors:

Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com

Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com

Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2