Adam Smith delivers his closing argument on behalf of Keely Youngblood, accused of responsibility for neck and back injuries Michael Blatnik claims he suffered when Youngblood rear-ended him. Jurors cleared Youngblood of responsibility for the injuries. 

Decatur, GA—Jurors Wednesday rejected a Georgia man’s claim that he suffered long-term neck and back injuries from a rear-end crash with a distracted driver. Blatnik v. Youngblood, 15A56329.

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Decatur, GA—Trial opens Monday for a Georgia man who says he suffered serious injuries when his car was rear-ended in a metro Atlanta-area crash. Blatnik v. Youngblood, 15A56329. 

a plaintiff can recover “the full value of a deceased’s life” in a Georgia wrongful death suit. However, where the bulk of a damage claim is for non-economic value, or what made the lost life at the heart of a case special, the damages argument becomes more complicated. In a wrongful death case involving a 22-year-old hairstylist and mother of two, Trent Speckhals’ closing argument emphasized the importance of non-economic damages and helped deliver a hefty award. Mitchell v. The Estate of Otis South, 09A03669.

Trent Speckhals delivers his opening statement at trial over the head-on collision that killed Fatima Bird.

Decatur, GA—Jurors Wednesday awarded $5.35 million for the role a drunk driver played in the 2008 crash that killed a 22-year-old mother of two. Mitchell v. The Estate of Otis South, 09A03669.

Attorneys drew battle lines at trial over the brain trauma a nursing student suffered in a fiery tractor trailer crash. While a settlement during deliberations ultimately carried the case, Bob Cheeley's stirring closing rebuttal helped sway jurors to deliver an eight-figure verdict.  Richards v. Total Transportation of Mississippi LLC, SUV2015000174.