The Great Trials Podcast

In this episode of The Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey discuss the case of Robert and Virginia Rymers vs. CPS Energy with trial lawyers Mike Lyons and Chris Simmons of Lyons & Simmons. Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite platform. --- Case Details: The case involves a devastating natural gas explosion in a San Antonio home that resulted in severe burn injuries to Robert and Virginia Rymers. The gas lines had not been properly maintained or inspected by CPS Energy. The defense argued it was not a natural gas explosion, positing alternative theories. However, the jury sided with the plaintiffs, resulting in a $109.5 million verdict. (Source) --- Guest Bios: Michael Lyons Michael Lyons is one of the founding partners of Lyons & Simmons and concentrates his practice on representing plaintiffs in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases as well as “bet the company” complex business disputes. Lyons has a national reputation for achieving outstanding results for his clients by displaying a mastery of the facts and law while utilizing creativity, tenacity, and cutting-edge technology. Over the past 25+ years of practice, Lyons has tried cases to juries, judges, and arbitrators throughout the state of Texas and all over the country. In the process, Lyons has obtained verdicts, awards, and settlements totaling over a billion dollars on behalf of his clients—many involving high profile, high exposure matters. Lyons has extensive trial experience in cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, wrongful death, and product liability. Lyons’ cases are as diverse and extensive as his approach to his cases. He has handled cases involving: brain and spinal cord injuries, electrocutions, aviation disasters involving helicopters and airplanes, trucking accidents, construction site accidents, industrial accidents, motor vehicle products liability, pharmaceutical, and medical device products liability, large business disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duties, medical malpractice, high profile contract disputes involving college football coaches and celebrities, and fire and explosion cases. Read Full Bio --- Guest Bios: Christopher Simmons Chris Simmons is one of the founding partners of Lyons & Simmons. He focuses his practice on representing plaintiffs in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases. He has developed a reputation as a highly-skilled warrior who combines a tireless work ethic with a creative and innovative approach to achieve results for the people that matter most—his clients. Simmons treats his clients’ problems as his own. Simmons wants his clients to know that he will stand up for them against their opponents. Anytime. Anywhere. Simmons is a firm believer that results speak louder than words and with that mindset he pursues justice for his clients. His pursuit of justice has resulted in him trying cases to verdict throughout the state of Texas and obtaining multimillion-dollar results for his clients in states across the country. Simmons, along with firm Co-Founder Michael Lyons, has assembled a team of lawyers that has been consistently recognized as leaders in their field. Simmons and his team have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in judgments, awards, and settlements on behalf of their clients. Read Full Bio --- LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Lyons & Simmons on Facebook Lyons & Simmons on LinkedIn Lyons & Simmons on Instagram --- Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast --- Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services  Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry hosts Kimball Jones and Joshua Berrett, partners at Bighorn Law, to discuss a recent landmark case in Clark County, Nevada. The case involved their client, Timothy Kuhn, who suffered severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, after being rear-ended.    Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts   Case Details: A Nevada state court jury slammed USAA with a $100 million punitive damages verdict in a bad faith lawsuit over the insurance giant's delays in paying out a claim for a zero-fault insured driver involved in a rear-end collision. The Clark County jury awarded the $100 million, in addition to $14 million in compensatory damages, over USAA's actions following a 2018 collision involving plaintiff Timothy Kuhn. USAA determined Kuhn was not at fault after being rear-ended in stationary highway traffic, but when Kuhn sued the driver who hit him to collect damages related to a concussion USAA intervened and argued Kuhn was responsible for the crash. Despite clear fault and significant medical expenses, USAA Casualty Insurance Company failed to reasonably handle his underinsured motorist claim, resulting in prolonged litigation. Jones and Berrett elaborate on the trial strategy, highlighting issues of insurance bad faith and the impressive jury verdict of $7 million in compensatory and $100 million in punitive damages against USAA. (Source)   Guest Bios: Kimball Jones  Kimball Jones is a partner at Bighorn Law, where he serves as both a trial lawyer and a dedicated advocate for individuals. His legal practice is centered on representing everyday people, often in cases against major corporations and insurance companies. Kimball graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from BYU-Idaho in 2005. While earning his degree Kimball started the Pre-Law Society, interned for a U.S. senator, and served as the university’s student body president, all while holding a job to pay for school. Kimball went on to graduate from BYU Law School in 2008, where he was awarded a Dean’s Scholarship for academic merit each year. Professionally, Kimball has been recognized as a Top Rated Personal Injury Attorney, winning several historic verdicts for his clients, including a recent $550 million dollar verdict, which is the largest verdict for a single plaintiff in Nevada history. Outside of his legal career, Kimball has proudly served in the U.S. Army, both on active duty and as a reservist. He is deeply committed to community service and cherishes his role as a family man. Kimball and his wife, Ashley, recently celebrated 21 years of marriage and are the proud parents of four amazing children. Read Full Bio   Joshua Berrett  Joshua Berrett focuses his practice on personal injury litigation. He is licensed to practice law in Nevada and Utah. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Joshua attended law school at the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. While in law school, Joshua served as the president of the Real Estate Law Society and the lead editor of the school’s International Law and Management Review. Prior to joining Bighorn Law, Joshua worked for a large, national law firm that focused on creditors’ rights litigation. During this time, Joshua ran the firm’s Nevada and Utah offices. Joshua has experienced first-hand the damage and suffering that can occur as the result of even a minor car crash. He takes this experience and passion and puts it to work every day as he fights vigorously for each one of his clients. Read Full Bio   Links: Facebook: Bighorn Law AND Kimball Jones Law LinkedIn: Bighorn Law Instagram: Bighorn Law AND Kimball Jones Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast   Show Sponsors: Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production  

In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, host Steve Lowry interviews trial lawyers Brian Brown and E.J. Hammann from Brown and Baron in Baltimore, Maryland. They discuss a complex case involving the tragic death of 83-year-old Helen Hansford at Largo Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The episode highlights their strategic legal maneuvers, including the successful exclusion of the defense's medical expert, and the compelling testimony that led to an $8.5 million verdict for Hansford’s estate --- Case Details: In June 2020, when Helen first came to Largo Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Prince George’s County, she weighed 112 pounds. She had previously been hospitalized after a bad fall, so she needed around-the-clock care. Upon admission, it was noted that she was at risk for falls, pressure injuries (bed sores), malnutrition, and “failing to thrive” (unsafe weight loss and related complications). By October, Helen’s weight was reported to be around 95 pounds. Months later, in January 2021, her weight had plummeted to just 81 pounds, which is about 72% of what it was before. Amid Helen’s weight loss crisis, Largo staff failed to put her back on the blood thinner medication that she needed after a surgery related to her fall. In February 2021, a blood clot went to her lungs and brain, causing her to pass away. --- Guest Bios: E.J. Hammann E.J. Hammann is a Partner and Trial Attorney at Brown & Barron. In her second year with the firm, E.J. was trial counsel in two cases obtaining $8 Million Plaintiffs’ verdicts (one for $8.5 Million and one for $8.3 Million). She has over 20 years’ experience working almost exclusively on medical malpractice cases. Her time defending doctors and hospital facilities, as well as knowledge gained working for medical malpractice insurance carriers, brings a depth of insight that benefits individuals who have been injured. As an experienced trial attorney, E.J. is committed to helping clients who face serious complications due to medical negligence or nursing home abuse. Read Full Bio Brian Brown Brian S. Brown, one of the firm’s founding partners, as well as its Managing Member, has over thirty years of experience as a trial lawyer and focuses his practice on litigating nursing home abuse and medical malpractice cases. Brian has tried well over 100 tort cases and has obtained multiple multi-million dollar verdicts. Over his career, he has recovered more than $175 million for his clients, through both trial and settlement. In addition to his trial experience, Brian has extensive appellate experience, having appeared before the Maryland Court of Appeals twelve times, and the Court of Special Appeals more than fifty times. He is admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. Brian is currently a member of the Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ) and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). Brian has presented on legal topics in a variety of settings, including for the Inn of Court, and over ten times for HB Litigation Conferences. He has also presented to the entire bench of the Circuit Court of Baltimore City regarding the evolving law of expert testimony in Maryland. Read Full Bio Links: Facebook: Brown & Barron, LLC LinkedIn: Brown & Barron, LLC; @Brian Brown; @Emily Hammann Instagram: Brown.BarronLLC Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast   Show Sponsors: Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production  

In this episode of The Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowery and Yvonne Godfrey welcome guests Tara Sutton and Philip Seiff from Robbins Kaplan LLP. The discussion centers on the significant legal case, McDougal vs. CRC Industries, which resulted in a $7.75 million verdict (later over $10.5 million after post-judgment adjustments).    Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts: Click Here to Rate and Review   Case Details: The Robins Kaplan trial team secured a groundbreaking $7.75 million verdict against CRC Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of aerosol dust remover products. This is believed to be the first known case against a dust remover manufacturer that has been tried to a plaintiff verdict. The litigation stemmed from a tragic vehicle crash in 2019 where the client’s wife was killed after her car was struck by a driver who was impaired from huffing CRC Duster. Inhaling this product can cause dramatic impairment effects from the chemical used as a propellant.  The case focused on the well-known abuse of aerosol dust remover products, such as CRC Duster, and CRC Industries’ responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of their products' misuse. (Source)   Guest Bio: Tara Sutton Tara Sutton, chair of Robins Kaplan’s National Mass Tort Group, has built a distinguished career in mass tort litigation and is renowned for her dedicated, unyielding commitment to justice. Her career has been marked by steadfast advocacy, and an unrelenting pursuit for accountability over corporatemisconduct. Tara stands out as the embodiment of legal excellence representing individuals, governments, and Tribal Nations harmed by defective products or corporate negligence. Her legal acumen and tenacity is evident as she navigates the complex landscape of mass torts — including cases involving defective products, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, and faulty medical devices. Read Full Bio Philip Sieff Trial lawyer Phil Sieff battles for justice when wrongdoers cause serious injury or death. Intense and relentless, he helps clients find the courage they need to face those who have hurt them. He has significant experience representing families coping with the wrongful death of a loved one, particularly a child, having handled hundreds of wrongful death cases. He has particular experience in complex and high-profile cases, including: the I-35W Bridge Collapse (lead co-counsel of I-35W Consortium, a group of 17 law firms that provided legal services to over 100 collapse victims); the Red Lake High School Shooting; and the Holidazzle Parade Disaster. Read Full Bio Links: Robins Kaplan on Facebook Tara Sutton on LinkedIn Philip Sieff on LinkedIn Robins Kaplan on X Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast   Show Sponsors: 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

GTP host Steve Lowery is leading the conservation today with special guest Maxey Scherr, the founder of Scherr Law Firm in El Paso, Texas. They explore the complexities of an extraordinary case, Mendoza vs. Titan Transportation, where Maxey secured a verdict of over $16 million for her client, Ruben Ivan Mendoza.   Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts: Click Here to Rate and Review   Case Details: The case revolved around a severe truck crash in Dallas County, Texas, where Ruben Mendoza, the driver of a pickup truck leased by Titan Transportation, was rear-ended by a truck owned by DSX Transportation. Despite the defense's attempts to frame Mendoza as an independent contractor, Maxey successfully proved that he was an employee in the course and scope of his employment, showcasing Titan's negligence in his lack of training and safety protocols. Scherr Law Firm secures an $11,005,000 settlement with three of four defendants named in a lawsuit and obtains a $16,857,276 verdict against the fourth remaining defendant in their second trial. (Source)   Guest Bio: Maxey Scherr Maxey Scherr founded Scherr Law Firm in 2022. She has litigated over 40 jury trials resulting in multi-figure verdicts across the board. Her areas of expertise include trucking accidents, wrongful death claims, traumatic brain injuries, and catastrophic injuries. Ms. Scherr is a member of various boards and organizations and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Women's Caucus and Board of Regents member with the ATAA, is on the Texas State Bar Committee on the Administration of the Rules of Evidence, is a member of the American Association for Justice and sits on the Women's Rights Commission for the City of El Paso. Through the years, Ms. Scherr's efforts have garnered many accolades. Most notably, Ms. Scherr is a "Super Lawyer," a "Top Ten Attorney," receives numerous "Litigator Awards" and has various National Law Journal Top 100 Verdicts. Ms. Scherr is licensed in Texas, New Mexico and Illinois and graduated from Texas Tech School of Law. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts-Boston with magna cum laude honors and undertook postgraduate work in Neuroscience at Harvard University. Read Full Bio   Links: Scherr Law Firm on Facebook: Scherr Law Firm Scherr Law Firm on LinkedIn: Scherr Law Firm Contact Scherr Law Firm: Scherr Law Firm Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast   Show Sponsors: Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2