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CVN has covered a host of major trials featuring the country’s best attorneys so far this year, from a blockbuster Georgia case involving Monsanto to a headline-grabbing trial against Starbucks, and more. Check out critical moments in three of the key trials our cameras have captured.
California Jury Serves Up $50M Verdict Against Starbucks Over Hot Drink Spill
A California state court jury ordered Starbucks to pay $50 million at trial over claims the company was responsible for the severe burns a patron suffered when a hot drink spilled on his lap.
The patron claims that a top on one of the drinks he ordered at a Starbucks drive-through was not properly secured, leading to hot liquid spilling into his lap and burning him. Starbucks claims that the patron was responsible for the drinks once they were properly handed through the window.
But in his closing of the trial’s phase on liability, the patron’s attorney, Nick Rowley, of Trial lawyers for Justice, told jurors Starbucks should be held responsible for ensuring its cups are securely closed.
“They handed him a burn. And if this is acceptable corporate policy, then it’s got to stop here.”
Union Pacific Cleared at Trial Over Collision That Cost Pedestrian His Leg
Railway giant Union Pacific prevailed at trial over claims the company was responsible for a man’s catastrophic leg injury when he was struck by one of the company’s trains.
The pedestrian, whose leg was amputated as a result of the incident, contends locomotive operators failed to slow down soon enough after they saw him walking along the tracks.
But in closings of the California state court trial, Schroeder Schaff & Low's Jason Schaff argued the pedestrian’s story was not supported by the evidence.
“So before you come here and try to shift the blame to somebody else, you first need… personal responsibility.”
Georgia Jury Hands Down $2B Verdict Against Monsanto in Roundup Cancer Case
Jurors handed down a $2 billion verdict against Monsanto after finding the company and its Roundup-brand weed killer responsible for a Georgia man’s cancer, in what his attorneys said was the first such case to go to trial in a Georgia state court. That verdict includes $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitives.
The plaintiff claims that glyphosate in the weed killer, which he says he used in his yard for years, caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Monsanto attorneys contend there is no reliable link between glyphosate and the disease.
But Arnold & Itkin’s Kyle Findley argued that the company knew of evidence connecting glyphosate to cancer for years, yet failed to warn the public.
“It’s OK to make a profit. It’s OK to have a business. What’s not OK is putting sales above safety.”
Email Arlin Crisco at acrisco@cvn.com.
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