The Trial Bible | A Podcast for Trial Lawyers

On this episode of Trial Bible, Gennady Voldz interviews renowned trial attorney Charles Wisell about the strategy behind securing a $96.5 million verdict in a catastrophic injury case that challenged the assumption that the crash was caused solely by the drivers.

By looking beyond the collision itself, Charles discovered a dangerous roadway design, a history of more than 108 prior crashes, and evidence that allowed the jury to hold a municipality accountable for creating an unreasonably dangerous intersection.

Throughout the conversation, Charles provides an inside look at how plaintiff trial lawyers can uncover hidden liability, simplify complex engineering concepts for juries, and build compelling themes that resonate in the courtroom.

Whether you're a seasoned plaintiff trial lawyer, a newer attorney looking to sharpen your courtroom skills, or someone interested in how catastrophic injury cases are built, this episode offers an in-depth look at the preparation, strategy, and advocacy behind a landmark verdict.

Trial Bible features conversations with the country's leading plaintiff trial lawyers, breaking down the verdicts, strategies, and courtroom techniques that help lawyers become better advocates for their clients.

Subscribe for new episodes featuring the biggest verdicts, the toughest cases, and the lessons behind them.

In this episode of The Trial Bible, we break down a high-stakes police pursuit case that resulted in a $37.5 million jury verdict—every dollar the attorneys asked for.

What began as a split-second decision by law enforcement turned into a devastating crash that changed a man’s life forever. But in the courtroom, those “split seconds” were slowed down into a series of choices—each one examined, challenged, and ultimately held accountable.

Joining us are trial attorneys Robert Chaiken and Paul Perkins, who walk us through how they built and tried this case from start to finish.

Great trial lawyers don’t just tell the story—they control the pace at which the jury understands it.

Takeaways

The conversation explores:

• How seasoned labor law litigators evaluate Labor Law §240(1) and §241(6) cases from day one
• Why this “classic scaffold law case” was anything but simple
• The strategic decision-making behind summary judgment, damages-only trial prep, and putting the plaintiff on first
• How a late-developing DTI MRI transformed the case into a true TBI trial — and how the jury was taught to understand “invisible” brain injuries
• Neutralizing 112 hours of defense surveillance by calling the investigator as a witness
• Using coworker testimony, biomechanics, and initial presentation to anchor causation
• Handling prior injuries, degeneration defenses, and credibility attacks head-on
• Trial teamwork, co-counsel dynamics, and expert sequencing
• Jury selection challenges, credibility battles, and the moments counsel knew they were winning

Helena and Brian also break down the economics of union labor damages, life care planning without fluff, expert cross-examination wins, and the high-stakes settlement negotiations that stalled just days before verdict — with no high-low agreement in place.

This episode is a masterclass in labor law trial strategy, TBI litigation, and how real verdicts are won — not assumed. If you try construction accident cases, damages-only trials, or brain injury cases, this is one you don’t want to miss.

In this powerful episode of Trial Bible, host Gennady Voldz sits down with trial attorney Brian Ward to break down one of the most emotionally devastating civil cases in recent memory.

A San Bernardino jury returned a $110.8 million verdict after finding that two young men were innocent victims of a deadly off-duty pursuit that ended in fire, catastrophic injury, and death.

Brian walks listeners through the case of D’Son Woods and Glen Bolden, two young men whose lives were forever altered after being chased by an off-duty corrections officer who escalated a brief encounter into a high-speed pursuit.

With no dashcam footage, no testimony from the officer, and major gaps in the timeline, Brian explains how his team built a liability case using policy manuals, focus groups, forensic reconstruction, and careful jury selection.

The conversation explores the strategic decisions that shaped the trial, including how to handle damaging facts like alcohol, how to avoid over-villainizing a defendant when vicarious liability is at stake, and how jury instructions can make or break a case.

Most importantly, Brian explains why securing a finding of zero percent comparative fault mattered more to the family than any dollar amount, and why some verdicts matter even before a check is written.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How to try a case when neither the driver nor the primary wrongdoer can testify
• Why making a defendant look “too extreme” can destroy vicarious liability
• How focus groups can reveal the exact line between credibility and overreach
• How to handle bad facts without letting them become the trial
• Why jury instructions can silently reshape deliberations
• How to present damages when the story spans months of medical torture
• Why verdicts can change a community’s narrative even when collection is delayed

KEY MOMENTS

- Introduction to D’Son Woods and Glen Bolden and the human story behind the case

- The gas station encounter and the moment the pursuit begins

- What the surveillance footage shows and what it never captures

- The off-duty officer, the uniform windbreaker, and why it mattered

- Focus group lessons that changed the liability strategy

- Voir dire in San Bernardino and addressing alcohol head-on

- The fight over peace officer authority and jury instructions

- The phase one verdict and the zero percent negligence finding

- The damages phase and how the jury arrived at nine figures

- Why the verdict matters even as the case moves into appeal

🧰 PJI / LEGAL FRAMEWORK DISCUSSED

* Vicarious liability and the going-and-coming rule

* Ratification as a theory of employer responsibility

* Comparative fault and zero negligence findings

* Damages proof in bifurcated trials

GUEST:

Brian Ward— Attorney

Website: https://www.tl4j.com/brian-ward/

HOST: 

Gennady Voldz– Plaintiff’s Trial Attorney

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gennady-voldz-esq-74414943/  

Voldz Law: https://voldzlaw.com/
 

CONTACT / SHARE A CASE: 

[email protected]

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A 67-year-old nursing-home resident on Coumadin suffers a fall. No timely CT. A slow intracranial bleed. Sparse records (“s/p fall”). Defense says “coincidence.” Using PHL §2801-d, a disciplined verdict sheet, and visible causation, Elliott Sinel secures a $10M Bronx verdict. This is a masterclass on burden-shifting statutes, voir dire in elder-care cases, and the power of starting with their nurse.

What you’ll learn

• Deploy PHL §2801-d and plead death as an injury
• Sequence witnesses to lock in departures through the defense nurse
• Translate complex medicine into visuals jurors trust
• Map witnesses to verdict-sheet questions—then close by walking them
• Humanize damages when medical proof is thin

Guest
Elliott Sinel — Plaintiff’s Trial Attorney (Nursing-Home/Healthcare Negligence)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-sinel-14561b303/
Website: https://www.nycbedsorelawyer.com/

Host
Gennady Voldz– Plaintiff’s Trial Attorney
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gennady-voldz-esq-74414943/  
Voldz Law: https://voldzlaw.com/

Connect
Questions or case stories for the show? [email protected]

Medical malpractice trials are often cast as a “battle of the experts.” But in this case, Marijo Adimey showed that the most powerful evidence isn’t just expert testimony—it’s the story jurors can see for themselves. Through complex imaging, careful cross-examination, and relentless preparation, she proved that “the treating doctor’s note in the patient’s chart cannot be right,” guiding a Nassau County jury to a record-setting $60M verdict.

In this episode of Trial Bible, host Gennady Voldz unpacks how Marijo turned a tragic spinal infarct after a routine procedure into a case study in storytelling: ruling out every alternative cause, simplifying complex medicine into visuals jurors could understand, and connecting them emotionally to a family’s lifelong struggle. Along the way, Marijo shares candid lessons about reputation, credibility, and thriving as one of the few female trial lawyers in a male-dominated courtroom.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

Make causation visible: Real MRIs/angiograms + clean annotations so jurors see the mechanism.

Flip “sharp practice”: Convert improper argument into a credibility win.

Preparation beats bias: Master every page, every image, every objection.

Ask for metadata early when EMR accuracy is in play.

Write depo questions for trial, verbatim—so impeachment lands cleanly.

Don’t overuse ‘liar’. Show impossibility; let jurors reach the conclusion.

Prep for electronics, bring blowups. Courtroom tech fails—posters don’t.

Guard your emotions. If you react, channel it into structure the next morning.

RESOURCES

Learn More about Marjio Ademy here: https://www.gairgair.com/marijo-c-adimey.html 

Trial Bible is built by and for trial attorneys. If you have a case story to feature—or a question you’d like answered on the show—connect with us at [email protected]

Three trials. One week. Three six-figure wins. In this episode of Trial Bible, host Gennady Voldz sits down with his friend and fellow litigator Peter Kolp — the courtroom speedster who has mastered the art of the one-day trial. Known for pulling off a “3 Pete” with three victories in just five days, Peter reveals how to condense a full-blown trial into hours without sacrificing impact — or dollar signs.

From finding judges open to one-day formats to preparing clients for concise, credible testimony, Peter walks us through the mechanics of New York’s Summary Jury Trials (SJTs). He breaks down each of the three cases from his legendary week, sharing how shoulder tears, knee injuries, and liability disputes turned into verdicts of $213K, $250K, and $300K.

Get ready for a masterclass as Peter reveals exactly how he won three six-figure verdicts in a single week, breaking down real cases from start to finish. You’ll hear how summary jury trials work, why they’re gaining traction in today’s short-attention-span world, and the art of capturing a jury’s attention in under an hour.

Peter and Gennady dive deep into trial prep, jury selection strategies, and the tools they use to present complex medical evidence with powerful simplicity. Plus, you’ll learn why understanding your client on a human level just might be the biggest secret to courtroom success.

• What a Summary Jury Trial is — and how it works in New York [00:04:18 – 00:08:00]
• Why judge selection can make or break a one-day verdict [00:15:26 – 00:18:12]
• How to build instant relatability with jurors in voir dire [00:08:42 – 00:14:10]
• Common defenses you’ll see in rear-end and soft tissue cases — and how to address them [00:20:44 – 00:23:55]
• Strategies for reframing treatment delays and preexisting conditions [00:22:12 – 00:26:00]
• How to teach anatomy in plain language for maximum juror retention [00:28:12 – 00:32:48]
• The key to preparing clients for concise, credible testimony [00:56:10 – 00:58:45]
• Negotiating strong high–low parameters with insurance defense counsel [01:20:12 – 01:23:40]
   

2:05 – Meet “The Master of the One-Day Trial”
4:18 – Anatomy of a Summary Jury Trial: time limits, packets, and parameters
8:42 – Voir dire in under an hour: golden ticket analogy + juror buy-in
15:26 – Why SJT cases need judges open to the one-day format
20:44 – Common defenses you’ll hear over and over — and how to counter them
28:12 – Using props and analogies to explain soft tissue injuries
34:50 – Case 1: Chanda v. Singh – liability + damages, shoulder tear, $300K verdict
46:18 – Case 2: Abbott – damages only, double shoulder injury, $213K verdict
57:06 – Why walking with your client can change your case prep
1:06:30 – Case 3: John – damages only, knee surgery, $250K verdict
1:14:55 – Why meniscus injuries often mean future knee replacements
1:20:12 – Negotiating high–low parameters without giving away leverage
1:26:08 – Why SJTs work in today’s short-attention-span world

• Serious Injury – Permanent Consequential Limitation of Use (PJI 2:88E)
• Serious Injury – Significant Limitation of Use (PJI 2:88F)

Peter Kolp – Trial Attorney

https://kolplaw.com/

Two men. Two amputations. One dangerous subway station. In this episode of Trial Bible, host Gennady Voldz welcomes legendary trial attorney Peter S. Thomas to break down how he secured a $103.6 million verdict against the New York City Transit Authority—turning a tragic pattern of negligence at the Spring Street station into a mandate for change. Peter unpacks the strategy behind taking over a retrial, reframing a case involving intoxicated plaintiffs, and exposing the devastating consequences of unchecked speed policies in the subway system. This isn’t just a verdict—it’s a cultural reckoning. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

• Why Peter threw out the old trial transcript and started fresh 
• How to reframe juror bias about intoxicated plaintiffs 
• The data-driven strategy behind challenging subway speed policies 
• How to cross-examine for maximum outrage (and impact) 
• The difference between a real study and a “rail sim” 
• How demonstrative evidence and real-time vulnerability drive damage awards 
• Jury conditioning techniques that make asking for 9-figure verdicts possible 

📍 KEY MOMENTS: 

– Trial setup: Two cases, one station, two amputations

– Why Peter ignored the prior transcript entirely 

– Jury selection: owning the facts about alcohol 

– “You’ve all broken the law”: Crosswalk analogy + relatability 

– The “struck list” and statistical smoking gun 

– The aha cross: “Would you slow down 3, 2, or 1 MPH to save a life?” 

– Transit’s refusal to change policy, even for 12 dangerous stations 

– Qualified immunity dismantled: no real study, no defense 

– Defense toxicologist admits: alcohol ≠ fault 

 – Live prosthetic reveal + emotional damage testimony 

– How to condition a jury for a 9-figure number 

– The final verdict: $103.6 million 

– Trial self-care: Peter’s unexpected secret weapon 

 – The ripple effect: gates begin appearing in subway stations 

🧰 PJI HIGHLIGHTS FOR YOUR REFERENCE: 

Duty to a Passenger – PJI 2:161 

Comparative Negligence – Intoxicated Person - PJI 2:45 

Qualified Immunity - PJI 2:225b 

Damages: Past Pain & Suffering – PJI 2:280 

Damages: Future Pain & Suffering - PJI 2:281 

🔎 GUEST CONTACT:

 Peter S. Thomas – Trial Attorney [Check him out on LinkedIn] https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-thomas-b9850514/

📩 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE: 

This episode isn’t just about two cases—it’s about preventing the next one. Share this episode with a colleague who believes in changing the system through the courtroom. Justice rides with those who speak up.

In this gripping episode of Trial Bible, host Gennady Voldz sits down with seasoned trial attorney Daniel A. Thomas to dissect the $287 million verdict in a case that rocked Harley-Davidson. What started as a freedom ride on a Harley Tri Glide trike ended in tragedy—and a courtroom battle that revealed a pattern of corporate deception, buried evidence, and a calculated attempt to silence justice.

Daniel walks us through how he and co-counsel Paul Edelstein proved a product defect that Harley claimed “couldn’t happen,” uncovered 90+ hidden complaints, and persuaded a jury to deliver one of the most emotional and punitive product liability verdicts in recent memory.

What you’ll learn:

• The recall that wasn’t: How Harley-Davidson misled customers and regulators
• Leveraging pre-impact terror as a legitimate and powerful damages claim
• How storytelling and emotional connection influenced the jury
• Using Excel metadata to uncover hidden truths during discovery
• Jury selection strategies for out-of-town trial lawyers
• The psychological edge of preparation, sleep, and presence in court
• How to make punitive damages real, reasonable, and persuasive

KEY MOMENTS:
0:00 – Welcome + Case Intro: Harley Trike turned tragedy
5:42 – Corporate Goliaths vs. Trial Davids
15:18 – Discovering the hidden Excel layers that changed everything
27:33 – Jury selection in small towns as a city lawyer
34:25 – Humanizing damages through neuroscience and “time dilation”
41:00 – Harley’s odd trial tactics: Waived opening and no cross
48:50 – The bag-on-handlebar theory that backfired
55:01 – Final summation strategy and verdict reveal
58:20 – How to stay sharp during long trials
1:04:45 – $287M Verdict: The moment Harley’s narrative collapsed
1:09:30 – Why wins like this change more than one life

🧰 PJI HIGHLIGHTS MENTIONED:

• Negligent Manufacture: PJI 2:125
• Negligent Design: PJI 2:126
• Punitive Damages: PJI 2:278
• Pre-Impact Terror (Conscious Pain & Suffering): PJI 2:320

🔎 GUEST CONTACT:
Daniel A. Thomas — Trial Attorney
Email: [you can insert if applicable]
Website: [optional]

📩 Subscribe & Share:

If this episode resonated with you, forward it to a fellow trial lawyer or leave us a review. Because winning cases doesn’t just come from knowing the law—it comes from knowing the fight.