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CVN Georgia has covered million-dollar verdicts on the most critical litigation throughout the state, from headline-grabbing products liability suits against General Motors to traumatic brain injury claims. Three of the awards were handed down in the first five months of 2015 alone, including eight-figure verdicts against Emory Healthcare and Papa John's Pizza.
Note: Verdict awards listed are as deliverd by the jury and not reduced by apportionment of liability or other factors.
The Members of CVN Georgia's Million-Dollar-Verdict Circle
1. McDavid v. Turner Broadcasting System, et al. (Fulton County Superior Court; 05CV101902)
Trial: October 9 - December 9, 2008.
Verdict: $316 million
Plaintiff's attorneys: H. Lamar Mixson, Jason Carter, Jill Pryor, Steven Rosenwasser, and Joshua Thorpe, of Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore LLP.
Jurors awarded David McDavid, a Dallas-area car dealer, more than $300 million on breach of contract and promissory estoppel claims stemming from Turner Broadcasting's refusal to sell McDavid the Atlanta Hawks and Thrashers. McDavid claimed he had signed a letter of intent to purchase the teams but Turner Broadcasting reneged on the deal and sold to another party.
2. Walden v. Chrysler Group, LLC and Bryan Harrell (Decatur County Superior Court; 12CV472)
Trial: March 24 - April 2, 2015
Verdict: $150 million
Plaintiff's attorneys: James Butler, of Butler, Wooten, Cheeley & Peak; Jeb Butler, of Butler Tobin; and George Floyd, of Floyd & Kendrick.
Four-year-old Remington Walden burned to death when the gas tank of the Jeep Grand Cherokee in which he was riding exploded following a collision. After an eight-day trial that included testimony from Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, jurors awarded $120 million for Remington's death and $30 million for his pain and suffering.
Read more about the case here, here, here, here, here, and here.
3. Wells v. Aslan Commons et al. (Fulton County State Court; 12EV014728)
Trial: January 12 - 15, 2015
Verdict: $72.96 million
Plaintiff's attorneys: Peter Law and Michael Moran, of Law & Moran.
Jurors awarded more than $72 million in a suit by an apartment tenant over the severe burns he sustained when an uncapped dryer gas line exploded in his apartment.
Read more about the case here, here, here and here.
4. Marion v. Little, et al.(Fulton County State Court; 13EV016954)
Trial: October 28 - November 12, 2015
Verdict: $36 million
Plaintiff's attorneys: Philip Henry, of Henry Spiegel Milling LLP and Marc Davis, of Davis, Zipperman, Kirschenbaum & Lotito.
Jurors found North Fulton Medical Center liable for negligence that led to the death of a mother of seven following the removal of her kidney.
5. Hilario et al. v. Newell Recycling of Atlanta, Inc. (Fulton County State Court; 12EV015400)
Trial: August 26 - September 3, 2015
Verdict: $29.25 million
Plaintiffs' attorneys: Alan Hamilton and Jeffrey Shiver, of Shiver Hamilton and Darren Summerville, of the Summerville Firm.
Erik Hilario, a worker at Newell Recycling died in a fire at the Newell Recycling plant in East Point when gasoline ignited and engulfed the reloader Hilario was operating. Jurors awarded nearly $30 million to Hilario's family on negligent design and failure-to-warn product liability claims.
Read more about the case here and here.
6. Brown v. Southeastern Pain Specialists, PC, et al. (Fulton County State Court; 10EV010621)
Trial: January 12 - 27, 2015
Verdict: $21.981 million
Plaintiff's attorneys: James Sadd, of Slappey & Sadd PC and Audrey Tolson, of the Tolson Firm.
Gwendolyn Brown suffered massive brain damage and ultimately died from lack of oxygen during an epidural procedure. Jurors found the health care providers involved negligent, awarding more than $20 million.
Read more about the case here, here, and here.
7. Lewis v. The Emory Clinic, Inc. et al. (DeKalb County State Court, 11A36471)
Trial: September 21 - 25, 2015
Verdict: $20.509 million
Plaintiff's Attorney: Jane Lamberti, of The Cochran Firm.
Jurors found the Emory Clinic responsible for the negligence it apportioned to non-party Neurocare for the death of Brandon Harris during a sleep study.
Read more about the case here.
8. Nelson v. Emory Healthcare Inc. (DeKalb County State Court, 14A53202E2)
Trial: February 17 - February 29
Verdict: $15 million
Plaintiffs' attorney: Lloyd Bell, of the Bell Law Firm.
With Emory Healthcare admitting liability for the exam table fall that paralyzed Cris Nelson, damages were the only issue. Jurors ultimately awarded $12 million to Cris Nelson and $3 million to his wife Deborah, following testimony of the lifelong effects the fall had on Nelson.
Read more about the case here and here.
9. Williams v. Papa John's Pizza (DeKalb County State Court; 14A52522)
Trial: April 19 - April 25
Verdict: $11 million
Plaintiffs' attorneys: Keenan Nix and Christopher Graddock of Morgan and Morgan and Darren Summerville, of the Summerville Firm.
Jurors found a Papa John's pizza delivery driver, and ultimately the company itself, liable for the rainy evening collision that Glenda Williams claimed left her with lifelong brain damage that rendered her frequently confused and prone to memory loss, among other issues. After expert testimony concerning the effect of Williams' brain damage, jurors awarded her $11 million.
Read more about the case here and see a video from the case here.
10. Lanier v. Gerdau Ameristeel, US, Inc. (Gwinnett County State Court; 12-C-06887)
Trial: August 25 - September 2, 2015
Verdict: $4.75 million
Plaintiff's attorneys: Cale Conley and Richard Griggs, of Conley Griggs Partin LLP and David Flint, of Schreeder, Wheeler & Flint LLP.
Jurors found Gerdau Ameristeel liable for the death of 24-year old Eddie Lanier, an electrical worker who was hit and killed by a 1,000 pound counter weight while working at an Ameristeel plant.
Read more about the case here.
11 (tie). Nelson v. Beiner, et al. (DeKalb County State Court; 13A47097)
Trial: August 12 - 14, 2015
Verdict: $3.5 million
Plaintiff's attorneys: Michael Goldberg and Eric Rogers, of Fried Rogers Goldberg.
A jury concluded an ambulance driver, and ultimately the service that employed him, were responsible for the rear end collision that left Stephanie Nelson with severe back injuries.
11 (tie). Wicker v. American Family Insurance Company, et al. (DeKalb County State Court; 13A47336)
Trial: February 10 - 12, 2015
Verdict: $3.5 million
Plaintiff's attorneys: Alwyn Fredericks and Shane Bartlett, of Cash, Krugler & Fredericks LLC.
Jurors awarded more than $3 million for the brain damage Jewel Wicker says she suffered when a box truck owned by defendant First Class Produce ran a red light and nearly crushed her vehicle.
Read more about the suit here and here.
11. Banks v. South Atlanta Neurosurgery, PC (Clayton County State Court; 2008 CV 8001)
Date: July 28 - 31, 2015
Verdict: $3.5 million
Plaintiff's Attorneys: Roderick Edmond, William Atkins, and Keith Lindsay, of Edmond, Lindsay & Hoffler LLP.
Jurors returned a verdict against South Atlanta Neurosurgery for negligence in treating deadly complications following Michael Banks' laminectomy.
Read more about the case here.
14. Trackfinders Music Group v. Baoming Group (Rockdale County State Court; 13-SV-1202)
Trial: October 26 - October 29, 2015
Verdict: $2. 26 million
Plaintiff's Attorney: Precious Felder, of the Law Offices of Precious Felder.
A Rockdale County jury found defendant liable for $2.26 million on a fraud claim involving the purchase of a bank guarantee between MC2, a subsidiary of Trackfinders and the purchaser of the interest, and Baoming Group.
Read more about the case here.
15. Fellers v. Just People Inc. (Fulton County State Court; 13EV016600)
Trial: July 7 - July 9, 2014
Verdict: $2.022 million
Plaintiff's Attorneys: Michael Goldberg, of Fried Rogers Goldberg and Andrew Golder, of The Law Offices of Andrew Golder.
The mother of a developmentally disabled man was awarded more than $2 million in her suit for the drowning death of her son during a pool party at a facility for developmentally disabled adults. Attorneys argued the death was caused by the facility's failure to properly supervise the residents.
Read more about the case here.
16. Evans v. Rockdale Hospital, et al. (DeKalb County State Court; 13A48465)
Trial: February 17 - February 29, 2016
Verdict: $1.264 million
Plaintiff's Attorney: Lloyd Bell of the Bell Law Firm.
Jurors found an emergency room negligent in failing to diagnose a patient's aneurysm in time to prevent strokes that left her with lifelong brain damage, but cleared the doctor of liability.
Read more about the trial here.
17. Peretz, et al. v. Cohn, et al. (Fulton County State Court; 12EV015232)
Trial: June 9 - 12, 2015
Verdict: $1.503 million
Plaintiffs' attorney: Stephen Katz, of The Katz Law Group.
Jurors awarded more than $1.5 million to investors in a failed Costa Rican real estate venture allegedly supported by a guarantee executed by an insolvent entity.
Read more about the case here and here.
18. Evans v. Norfolk Southern Railway Company, et al. (Fulton County Superior Court; 2012CV223527)
Trial: April 7 - 10, 2015
Verdict: $1.210 million
Plaintiff's attorney: James Holland, of Harrell & Harrell.
Jurors found a railroad and transportation firm liable for the severe injuries a railroad employee suffered when the van in which he was riding was struck by a train.
Read more about the case here, here, here ,and here.
19. Cheek v. Demmer (Fulton County State Court; 14EV000550)
Trial: October 26 - 27, 2015
Verdict: $1.125 million
Plaintiff's attorneys: Michael Goldberg, of Fried Rogers Goldberg and Jeffrey Gilbert, of the Law Offices of Jeffrey Gilbert.
With trial limited solely to damages in a Buckhead-area car crash, jurors awarded a woman who suffered multiple broken bones and back injuries more than $1.1 million.
Read more about the trial here.
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Trial: August 26 - September 3, 2015
