Getting Bigger and Better Damages

closeup abstract of $100 bill in US currency
What's one of the biggest mistakes made by attorneys seeking damages?  Separating liability from damages and leaving the damages presentation to the end of their case.  It's important to weave damages -- especially evidence supporting claims for emotional distress damages -- throughout your case. It’s an easy mistake to understand after all -- as attorneys we’re trained to prove the elements of the case, and those elements are separated into elements of liability and damage. However, jurors widely believe that ...

This Simple Statement to the Jury Will Help Win Your Jury Trial

puzzle piece in hand
Your goal is to win your jury trial.  And the road to the verdict is fraught with anxiety.  Of course, the attorneys and clients are anxious. Witnesses are also anxious.  Courtroom personnel are often anxious. It might surprise you, though, that the members of the jury are anxious too. The jurors are concerned about following the evidence, and whether they will be tested regarding their understanding of legal terminology.  They are worried they will appear less capable compared to other ...

An Injection of Reversible Error Will Kill Your Winning Verdict

Close-up of medical syringe with drug
Want to kill your good jury verdict? Try a lethal injection of appealable issue and reversible error. There is no doubt about it— trials are an ordeal, even under the best of circumstances. We spend hundreds of hours preparing for cases. We sort through thousands of documents, take and digest multiple depositions, prepare extensive witness lists, design jury presentations, and so many other additional trial preparation tasks. All of this intense preparation is designed to maximize the possibility of our ...