This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Marc Diller of Diller Law, P.C. (https://www.dillerlaw.com/).

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Episode Details:

Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum member Marc Diller of Diller Law, P.C. explains how he secured justice for tenant Cathrine Erickson when her landlord failed to prepare her Watertown, Massachusetts rental property for winter, creating a dangerous situation that resulted in permanent injury to Cathrine's right leg. After being informed by Cathrine and other tenants that the drain at the end of the sloped driveway was not working properly, landlord Rosalie Cunio chose to withhold important property information and ignore the contractor's proposed solution in favor of a cheap fix. The repair was ineffective, as water continued to pool, taking days to drain. The drainage problem was compounded when winter came and Rosalie did not "winterize" the rental property, including shutting off the exterior water. In February 2013, Cathrine returned home from her job as head coach of Northeastern University's track and field team and slipped on black ice caused by water spraying from a hose. As a result, Cathrine sustained a serious injury requiring a titanium rod as well as seven screws to stabilize her right leg. Today, this accomplished coach struggles with mobility and suffers from chronic pain. In March 2019, trial lawyer Marc Diller detailed the landlord's negligence and violations of common sense safety practices to a Middlesex County, Massachusetts jury. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Cathrine, awarding $2,324,815.62 in damages.

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Guest Bio:

Marc Diller

On May 15, 1992, Marc Diller was a senior in high school in Brookline, MA. Brookline’s local paper, The Brookline Citizen, profiled Marc Diller as its Brookline Student of The Week. The article was titled, “Diller, an attorney in training”.

Even back then, Marc’s passion for service and the law was evident.

Nearly 30 years later, Marc uses that passion to deliver safety and justice to his clients.

Marc helps people and their families during their most vulnerable times. It’s his ethos to hold corporations and insurance companies accountable for wrongdoings. Marc fights corporate and individual wrongdoers when it results in wrongful death or catastrophic injury.

Marc doesn’t back down from the fight. Throughout his 20+ year career, Marc has held property owners, who maintain dangerous conditions, accountable for their wrongdoings. He has made companies take responsibility for the death or losses that result from making, designing or selling dangerous products. Marc also makes employers on construction sites answer for unsafe work conditions. When motorcyclists, pedestrians, bicyclists and those in cars are killed or injured by dangerous drivers and the companies that employ them, Marc seeks justice. He goes after the drunk, distracted and drowsy drivers, the companies that employ them and the restaurants, bars, and clubs that ignore safe service practices and let drivers drive dangerously.

“Our client’s trust us to do right by them,” says Diller “and I insist that all Diller Law, PC’s lawyers care about safety and accountability in our community.”

Marc grew up in Brookline, MA, the son of a lawyer and an educator. At the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor he wrote for the Michigan Daily newspaper, majoring in English and communications. From there, he went to Suffolk University Law School, his father William’s alma mater. Marc worked with his dad at the Law Offices of William Diller starting in 1997. William mentored Marc until 2013.

Marc learned a lot from William’s 40+ years experience in law. William was the editor-in-chief of the Suffolk Law Review (’69), clerked for Justice Reardon at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (’70), was an associate at one of Boston’s premier law firms, and during William’s 40 years in private practice, he handled many complex and significant personal injury cases.

In 2013 Marc started DILLER LAW, P.C.

Marc’s aggressive, yet practical approach to litigating and resolving personal injury cases has earned him recognition from his peers in the legal community.

Professionally, Marc serves on numerous legal organizations and committees dedicated to the ethical and competent litigation of cases as well as the proper administration of justice.

Personally, Marc is the father of two children. He coaches recreational basketball for his sons. In his free time, Marc enjoys golfing and watching movies.

Lawyers all over the country consult Marc, who has appeared in State and Federal trial courts as well as our State’s appellate court.

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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey Robert Mongeluzzi of Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky (https://www.smbb.com/). 

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Episode Details:

Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame inductee Robert Mongeluzzi of Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky shares how he successfully represented the families of nine customers and employees who were killed or seriously injured in the collapse of a Salvation Army Thrift Store in Philadelphia on June 5, 2013. Nearly two weeks before the collapse of an unsupported four-story brick masonry structure onto the one-story store, Salvation Army officials were warned about the risks posed to the Thrift Store due to ongoing demolition of neighboring properties. The Salvation Army chose to ignore the warnings and failed to notify customers or employees of the danger, resulting in seven fatalities and numerous injuries. After a high-profile 15-week trial, Robert Mongeluzzi convinced the Philadelphia jury that this was no accident, securing a liability verdict, with 75% of the liability for the customers assigned to the Salvation Army and the liability for the employees divided among property owner Richard Basciano, the architect and other parties. Following the liability verdict, Robert Mongeluzzi settled the case for $227 million in the damages phase. 

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Guest Bio:

Robert J. Mongeluzzi

Robert J. Mongeluzzi is one of the finest trial lawyers in America. He has the largest personal injury verdict affirmed on appeal in Pennsylvania history, the largest individual personal injury settlement in Pennsylvania history, the largest multi-plaintiff personal injury settlement in Pennsylvania history, the largest workplace injury verdict in Pennsylvania history, the largest verdict in a motor vehicle accident in Pennsylvania history and the largest dram shop verdict in Pennsylvania history. He has the largest settlement of a construction case in American history. He was one of the lead plaintiffs attorneys in the largest settlement of a railroad accident case in American history. He has the largest verdict for a construction worker in American history. He has the largest wrongful death settlement in Philadelphia County history. He has the largest settlement in Lehigh County history. He has handled six cases with verdicts or settlements of $100 million or more. He has had more than 400 verdicts and settlements in excess of a million dollars. He was inducted into the National Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2018, was awarded the Legal Intelligencer Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and was the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers 2019 Michael A. Musmanno Award honoree.

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Randy Kinnard of Kinnard Law (www.kinnardclaytonandbeveridge.com/).

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Episode Details:

Accomplished trial lawyer, veteran and Purple Heart recipient Randy Kinnard of Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge Attorneys at Law explains how he secured the largest verdict in Weakley County, Tennessee history for Cody Wade. At the age of 17, Cody was intubated following a traumatic car crash and struggled to breathe normally once it was removed. With the trach tube re-inserted, he was transferred to Cane Creek Rehabilitation Hospital and put under the care of a doctor who failed to consult a specialist or to provide reasonable care when Cody expressed concern and signs of respiratory distress following the second removal of the trach tube. Without the tube, Cody’s airway collapsed and he sustained irreversible brain damage, leaving him unable to speak or move. A Dresden, Tennessee jury returned a $15.2 million verdict following a lengthy five-week trial.

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Guest Bio:

Randy Kinnard

Before becoming a trial lawyer, Randy Kinnard was a soldier. He graduated from West Point and then served in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam as a Lieutenant and airborne ranger. He commanded 250 men in combat. He was awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Bronze Star for Valor, Purple Heart and Combat Air Medal for 28 air assaults in combat.

After his military service, Randy went to law school in Memphis. Randy has tried over 250 jury trials for plaintiffs. He has won many record setting verdicts, including the Erin Andrews’ case of $55 million.

He’s a past president of the Tennessee Association for Justice.

Randy is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates and he lives in Nashville. He has served on several non-profit boards.

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Mark Mandell of Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, Ltd (https://www.mbmjustice.com/).

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Episode Details:

Acclaimed trial lawyer Mark Mandell of Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, Ltd. explains how he successfully advocated for Alissa Moulton, who was ejected from her boyfriend Alexander Arango's car after he lost control while driving under the influence, leaving her paralyzed. In April 2010, Alexander, who was only 18 years-old at the time, became highly intoxicated after he was illegally served alcoholic drinks at Twin River Casino and Royal Liquors store in Rhode Island. While under the influence, Alexander drove his mother's 1997 Toyota Camry and lost control of the passenger-filled vehicle as it struck a median barrier, crossed two highway lanes, rolled onto its roof and hit a tree, ejecting Alissa and another passenger. Today, Alissa is paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair. Despite the defense's attempts to poke holes in the established timeline of events and to question whether Alexander was served drinks at the casino, a Providence, Rhode Island jury found in favor of the plaintiff Alissa, returning a total judgment of $21,270,455.69 in November 2016. This landmark dram shop liability case is also featured in Mark Mandell's book Advanced Case Framing.

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Guest Bio:

Mark Mandell

Mark Mandell graduated from Georgetown University Law Center receiving his J.D. in 1974. When Mark graduated from Georgetown he served as a law clerk for the Honorable U.S. District Judge Edward W. Day in the United States Federal District Court in Providence for a year before entering private practice.

Mark is certified for his expertise in civil trials by two national organizations. He is a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification. Attorney Mandell is also nationally recognized and Board Certified as an expert in medical negligence litigation by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. Double board certification nationally is rare for trial lawyers. Both certifications require trial experience and passing a national certification examination.

Mark is actually Triple Board Certified as he is also board certified in Civil Pretrial Practice by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification.

Mark is a member of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates. Membership in the Inner Circle is limited to 100 of the best trial lawyers in the country. The Inner Circle has been described as “an invitation-only group of the best plaintiffs lawyers in the United States”.

Mark is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Membership in the College is an honor that is given only after a lengthy and rigorous evaluation.

Attorney Mark Mandell is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and a member of the American Law Institute. He has also attained bar membership in United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and in the States of Rhode Island and Alabama.

Mark Mandell has served as President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Roscoe Pound Institute of Civil Justice, the Rhode Island Bar Association and the Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association. He has chaired the Board of Bar Examiners for the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and is a Past Chair of the National Center for Victims of Crime. He is also a Past President of the National Crime Victims Bar Association. He not only has served these presidential roles but has served many intermediary positions in these prestigious groups.

Attorney Mandell is a current member of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Ethics Advisory Panel and has also served on the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Judicial Appointments, the Rhode Island Supreme Court Commission on the Future of Rhode Island Judicial System, the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, and the Governor’s Council on Mental Health.

He is currently a member of the Alabama Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Rhode Island Association for Justice, and the Rhode Island Bar Association. Mark has written 22 articles in well-known journals and has lectured many hundreds of times to Trial Lawyers Associations, state and national, in 45 different states and internationally. Attorney Mandell is currently listed in the publication “The Best Lawyers in America“.

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Jeffrey Kroll of Kaveny + Kroll Trial Attorneys (www.KavenyKroll.com).

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Episode Details:

Accomplished trial attorney Jeffrey Kroll of Kaveny + Kroll Trial Attorneys shares how he secured one of the largest premises liability compensatory awards in the nation and the largest verdict ever reported against the city of Chicago on behalf of college dance student Tierney Darden. In 2015, Tierney suffered life-altering injuries at O’Hare International Airport after a poorly maintained pedestrian shelter weighing 750 pounds fell on top of her, shattering her spinal cord. Today, Tierney is paralyzed from the waist down and suffers from severe neuropathic pain on a daily basis. A post-verdict settlement of $115 million was reached with the city of Chicago.

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Guest Bio:

Jeffrey Kroll

Jeffrey J. Kroll is an award-winning attorney who has represented injured victims of negligence throughout the country for nearly three decades in the areas of trucking accidents, products liability, and medical malpractice. In 2017, Mr. Kroll was part of the trial team that obtained a record-breaking $148 million jury verdict on behalf of a dancer who was paralyzed when a shelter collapsed on her at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Overall, his verdicts and settlements have exceeded $1 million on 80 separate occasions.

Mr. Kroll has lectured throughout the country on personal injury and wrongful death matters. He has had more than 125 legal articles published on topics ranging from strategic jury selection and maximizing an injured client’s recovery, to successfully handling wrongful death cases and preparing and cross-examining expert witnesses. He is well known in Chicago media for countless segments and publications, and has taught Trial Advocacy and Medical Malpractice Law at DePaul University and Northwestern Law School. Mr. Kroll was the only Illinois attorney to be published in the Anatomy of a Personal Injury Lawsuit, 4th Edition, released by Trial Guides and the American Association for Justice.

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey are joined by Jeff Harris and Jed Manton to recap 4 years and 150+ episodes of the Great Trials Podcast! (https://www.hlmlawfirm.com/).

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Episode Details:

Today’s episode includes lessons learned from over 150 interviews with America’s top trial lawyers. We discuss key takeaways on anchoring damages, demonstratives, expert witnesses, and much more.

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Guest Bios:

Jeff Harris

One of the nation’s top trial attorneys, Jeff Harris is an award-winning litigator who handles high-profile, complex cases across a wide variety of practice areas. He excels at securing justice for clients who have been seriously injured or killed, holding responsible parties accountable for their actions as well as their negligence.

Over the course of his career, Jeff has secured hundreds of millions in jury verdicts and settlements for his clients and has helped make a variety of products, vehicles and industries safer for everyone. His cases have been featured in The New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, 20/20, CBS Evening News and many other national media outlets.

Jeff has obtained numerous record-setting verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients and has been repeatedly included on the annual survey of top jury verdicts in the United States, compiled by the National Law Journal. He has been inducted to the Georgia Verdicts Hall of Fame and honored on the Georgia Super Lawyers Top 100 list, the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 list and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel’s Top One Percent list.

Jeff has earned a reputation as a strategic, aggressive litigator who takes on major corporations and wins cases on behalf of his clients. Jeff has successfully litigated cases involving product defects, business disputes, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, bad faith, aviation accidents, medical negligence and industrial accidents. His specialty is trying cases to a jury. He is routinely brought into complex cases at the request of other attorneys to handle the trial of those disputes.

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Jed Manton

Jed Manton is committed to representing individuals and business that have been harmed by the actions of others. With a solid track record, Jed has helped numerous clients who have been seriously injured or who have lost a loved one obtain justice, while holding the wrongdoer accountable.

Many injuries occur because of a single individual’s carelessness. However, Jed also recognizes that oftentimes tragedy strikes as a result of a series of missteps by multiple people. For example, the poor design of a road or the defective design of a particular automobile often plays a significant role in an automobile wreck. In three recent cases, Jed helped secure over $8 million for families where the police initially determined that HLM’s client was at fault for the collision. After the firm’s thorough investigation, the true cause for each wreck was determined to be a poorly designed road.

Jed has also helped families secure millions of dollars of compensation related to defective automobiles. Whether it is a defective tire, a poor braking system, an overworked truck driver or the improper location of a guardrail, Jed always digs deep into the underlying facts of each case to ensure that all responsible parties are identified and held accountable for their actions.

While the cornerstone of the justice system is making sure an injured client is fairly compensated for his or her past and future injuries, Jed takes particular satisfaction in knowing that HLM’s work has resulted in roads being made safer, cars being designed differently and facilities being investigated by law enforcement to prevent needless injuries to others.

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Mary E. Alexander of Mary Alexander and Associates, P.C. (https://www.maryalexanderlaw.com).

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Episode Details:

Former president of the American Association for Justice Mary E. Alexander of Mary Alexander & Associates, P.C. explains how she secured justice for a University of Arizona college student severely injured after riding a rented Curry Company bicycle in California’s Yosemite Park. The bike’s used brakes caused Mary Hall to crash, rendering her a quadriplegic dependent upon a breathing machine. A jury in Fresno County, California returned a $13.3 million verdict, including $11.17 million in special damages.  

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Guest Bio:

Mary E. Alexander

Widely recognized as one of San Francisco’s top personal injury attorneys, Mary Alexander established her stellar reputation in the legal community after obtaining some of the largest and highest profile verdicts and settlements in the state of California over the course of her career.

She earned a national reputation for her work protecting consumer rights, and her dedication to her clients has won her numerous awards from attorneys, clients, legal publications and others.

Ms. Alexander is a Past-President of both the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and Consumer Attorneys of California, and her lobbying work for consumer rights is matched only by her success on behalf of her clients.

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Also mentioned in the episode: www.trialbyagreement.com

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Steve Susman of Susman Godfrey, L.L.P. ( https://www.susmangodfrey.com/)

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Episode Details:

Leading trial lawyer Stephen “Steve” Susman of Susman Godfrey LLP talks about how he obtained the largest verdict in 2009 in Dallas County, Texas by representing a trio of NL Industries stockholders (Efficasey Environmental LLC, Highland Environmental Management, LLC and Industrial Recovery Capital Holding Company) who were being offered a fraction of their stock’s worth because NL Industries’ management had depleted the company’s funds. Rather than admit to wrongdoing, NL Industries attempted to intentionally miscalculate or undervalue the stocks, committing a breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract that did not sit well with the jury, who also delivered a $5 million punitive damage verdict against NL Industries’ general counsel.

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Guest Bio:

Steve Susman

Recognized as one of the most successful plaintiff’s attorneys in the United States, Stephen Susman has built an unparalleled history of legal victory on an extremely straightforward idea — he gets paid for results, not effort. Although his career can be measured in many ways — the dozens of professional awards he has received, the very successful firm he has built, his remarkable record of winning very high-profile cases, working for plaintiffs against an array of large corporate interests, his defense work for select corporate and individual clients, it can all be traced back to Susman’s deep-rooted belief that his compensation should come from getting results.

Honored as one of the nation’s Top 10 litigators, The National Law Journal(June 5, 2006) issue, Susman is among a highly select group to have been included Chambers USA for over 10 years in The Best Lawyers in America for over 25 years. The Business Insider, Law Review (January 20, 2010 issue), named him one of the eleven lawyers you definitely do not want to see across the aisle. Jury consultant, Don Vinson, in his book America’s Top Trial Lawyers, ranks Susman among the 14 best trial lawyers in the United States and International Commercial Litigation’s worldwide annual poll of lawyers ranked Susman as the Litigator of the Year and then top litigator in the United States in two separate years. 

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Also mentioned in the episode: www.trialbyagreement.com

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Russ Herman, Senior Partner of Herman, Herman & Katz, L.L.C. (hhklawfirm.com)

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Case Details:

In late 2011, HH&K partner Russ Herman helped finalize the 14-year-old class action lawsuit, Scott v. American Tobacco Company, with a judgment that ordered certain tobacco companies to fund a statewide, 10-year smoking cessation program benefiting more than 200,000 Louisiana smokers who are members of the plaintiff class (the “Scott Class”). The judgment created a court-established and court-supervised smoking cessation program to benefit Louisiana residents who began their smoking habit before September 1, 1988. Since the judgment, the defendant tobacco companies have deposited the funds with the Court to create the Smoking Cessation Trust (“SCT”).

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Guest Bio:

Russ M. Herman is a Senior Partner of Herman, Herman & Katz, L.L.C. He graduated from Tulane University with a B.A. Degree and L.L.B. in 1966. In 1977, he was chosen “Outstanding Trial Lawyer” by the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association and was LTLA President in 1980-81.

He has authored over 200 articles, papers and books in various aspects of Civil Trial Practice and has been published in various works including Am Jur; Trials; Shepard’s/McGraw Hill; The National Business Institute; Trial Magazine; The Forum; and Personal Injury Annual by Matthew Bender.

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Shanin Specter of www.klinespecter.com

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Episode Details:

Inner Circle of Advocates member Shanin Specter of Kline & Specter, PC shares how he obtained the largest contested liability personal injury verdict in Pennsylvania history after 39-year-old Carrie Goretzka was fatally electrocuted by a 7200 volt power line. West Penn Power linemen failed to properly clean the wires with a wire brush before installing them, per the manufacturer’s instructions, resulting in the line overheating and falling to the ground as a live wire in her yard. 

The result of this premises liability case led to the re-training of Pennsylvania linemen, infra-red inspections of power lines and the creation of an Electric Safety Division by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to investigate reported electrical injuries. An Allegheny County jury returned a $109 million verdict, including $48 million in compensatory damages and $61 million in punitive damages.

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Guest Bio:

Shanin Specter

Shanin Specter is a preeminent American trial lawyer. He is a founding partner of Kline & Specter, one of the leading catastrophic injury firms in the United States.

Specter has obtained more than 200 verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million, including jury verdicts of $153 million against a major automaker and $109 million against a Pennsylvania power company. In all, he has achieved 16 eight- or nine-figure verdicts, among them news-making cases involving medical malpractice, defective products, medical devices, premises liability, auto accidents, and general negligence.

He is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, whose membership is limited to the top 100 plaintiffs’ trial attorneys in the United States.

Beyond winning substantial monetary compensation for his clients, many of Specter's cases have prompted changes that provide a societal benefit, including improvements to vehicle safety, nursing and hospital procedures, the safe operation of police cars, training for the use of CPR at public institutions, and inspections, installation and maintenance of utility power lines. One case spurred the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to create a new Electric Safety Division to investigate reported electrical injuries. Most recently, Specter’s lawsuit on behalf of the victims of a fire escape collapse helped move the City of Philadelphia in 2016 to enact an ordinance requiring all fire escapes to be regularly inspected.

Specter earned his undergraduate degree with honors from Haverford College, his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an LL.M. with First Honors from Cambridge University.

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2