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The Great Trials Podcast offers a series of laid-back, casual conversations with leading trial lawyers, taking listeners "behind the scenes" of America’s greatest trials. Hosted by acclaimed trial lawyers Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey, each podcast episode focuses on one important trial and includes in-depth, insightful interviews with the attorneys who successfully argued the case in front of a judge and jury.
Episodes
7 days ago
7 days ago
This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Frank Mangiaracina of Kline & Specter PC (https://www.klinespecter.com/).
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Episode Details:
Philadelphia-based personal injury attorney Frank Mangiaracina with Kline & Specter PC discusses how he secured justice for David Coryell, a motorcycle driver involved in an automobile wreck with a delivery driver employed by a Domino’s franchise. On July 27, 2016, defendant Steven Morris was driving a delivery vehicle to deliver Domino’s food when he made a sudden left turn into oncoming traffic, crashing his vehicle into David and his motorcycle. David suffered severe physical and emotional injuries from this incident. After numerous operations, he was left with the decision to either amputate his left leg or experience permanent and progressive pain. Despite the defense’s attempts to claim that Domino’s did not have control over a franchisee’s operations and therefore could not be held accountable for the actions of a franchisee’s employee, Mangiaracina established that Domino’s and the franchisee have a “master-servant relationship,” arguing that Domino’s did, in fact, have control over the franchisee and therefore should be held responsible. The jury agreed, and on August 13, 2021, a Philadelphia County jury returned a $2,009,553 verdict in favor of plaintiff David Coryell.
Click Here to Read/Download Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Frank Mangiaracina
Frank Mangiaracina focuses his practice on catastrophic personal injury. He is a staunch advocate and proven trial lawyer who helped compile more than $60 million in recoveries in the five years before coming to Kline & Specter.
Most recently, in a COVID-era trial during the summer of 2021, Mangiaracina won a $2.1 million verdict against Domino’s Pizza for a client who suffered severe and permanent injuries to his leg when his motorcycle was struck by a delivery driver. As co-lead counsel at trial, Mangiaracina gave a closing argument that helped convince the jury that Domino’s was responsible for the actions of a franchisee.
He was also co-counsel in litigation that achieved a $44 million pre-trial settlement in a product liability case for an oil rig worker who was left a quadriplegic after he was struck by a falling light fixture.
In medical malpractice cases, among others, Mangiaracina helped win settlements of $5.5 million, $5 million and $3.5 million for, respectively, failures to timely diagnose stroke, diagnose and treat sepsis and to treat an aortic aneurysm.
These recoveries were made with Mangiaracina’s prior firm, Sheridan & Murray LLC in Fort Washington, Pa. He also worked as an attorney at Berger & Montague in Philadelphia and as a law clerk with the Philadelphia firm of Saltz, Mongeluzzi & Bendesky.
Because of his litigation success, Mangiaracina has been named a Pennsylvania Rising Star by Super Lawyers for four consecutive years (2019-2022). The independent lawyers survey group recognizes the top 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state who are 40 or younger.
Mangiaracina earned his law degree at the Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude, in the top five percent of his class and was a member of the Order of the Coif honor society. He was, simultaneously, staff editor for the Temple Law Review and a member of Temple’s renowned National Trial Team, which placed in the semifinals of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s “Tournament of Champions,” an invitation-only competition.
At Temple, Mangiaracina won several awards and scholarships, including the Integrated Trial Advocacy Graduation Award, the Benjamin and Natalie Levin Memorial Scholarship, the Class of 1978 Scholarship and the Faculty Law Scholarship.
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Tuesday Apr 14, 2026
Tuesday Apr 14, 2026
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Randall Sorrels and Alexandra Farias-Sorrels of Sorrels Law (https://sorrelllawfirm.com/)
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Case Details:
Husband-and-wife trial team Randall Sorrels and Alexandra Farias-Sorrels of Sorrels Law share how they secured justice for an airline wing walker who was struck by a fueling truck and catastrophically injured. On September 7, 2019, Ulysses Cruz donned his yellow vest and held bright orange wands to guide a United Airlines plane when Allied Aviation Fueling Company truck driver Reginald Willis struck Ulysses with the vehicle. Ulysses was paralyzed on impact, underwent spine stabilization surgery and suffered an accident-related stroke that affected the right side of his body and the left side of his brain. In the courtroom, award-winning trial lawyers Randall and Alexandra Sorrels sparred against the defense attorney, who attempted to place blame on United Airlines and to label Ulysses as a wing walker with a lack of "situational awareness." The Sorrels Law duo countered with proof that Reginald Willis violated Allied Aviation Fueling Company's policies by continuing to drive while blinded by the sun. On October 25, 2021, a Harris County, Texas jury found Allied Aviation Fueling Company 70% responsible and driver Reginald Willis 30% responsible for the accident and awarded Ulysses Cruz and his family a $352.77 million verdict, which is believed to be the largest actual damages verdict in U.S. history for an injured worker.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bios:
Randy Sorrel
Randy Sorrels holds the unique distinction of being the only Texas board-certified plaintiffs’ lawyer ever to have been elected to serve as President of the State Bar of Texas and selected as one of the Top 100 lawyers in the state by Texas Super Lawyers magazine. His passionate representation of clients and lawyers has garnered statewide recognition and numerous prestigious awards. Randy and his partner/wife obtained what is believed to be the largest actual damages verdict in United States’ history for an injured worker — $352.7 million – in a fully contested jury trial. In short, whether it is in the courtroom or in the boardroom, Randy has an unparalleled track record of success for his clients and the organizations he leads.
As a leader, Randy was voted by Texas lawyers to become the 2019-2020 State Bar President by the widest margin of victory in State Bar history. During his presidential service, he traveled Texas solidifying his reputation for helping not only those who hire him, but also helping fellow lawyers. His network of friends and relationships throughout the state is vast, and he is often hired by lawyers who are in need of representation. As a zealot advocate for his clients, Randy holds four board certifications including in Personal Injury Trial Law, Civil Trial Law and Civil Trial Advocacy from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. And in a peer selection process, for the last 14 years he has been named one of the Top 100 lawyers in the state. He is sought after by the nationwide and local media for legal analysis, commentary and perspective.
Randy’s success in the courtroom is also well-known throughout Texas and the nation. He has taken dozens of cases to trial, securing multi-million-dollar verdicts in personal injury cases, medical malpractice cases, plant explosion cases and business lawsuits. During the time of Covid, Randy and the Sorrels Law team secured two of the largest personal injury jury verdicts in the country in high-profile cases that received media attention worldwide. In one of the cases, the jury returned an actual damages verdict of $352.7 million for an injured worker who suffered catastrophic injuries, while in the other the jury awarded two minor league baseball players $3.24 million. For 2022, Randy has been named the Best Lawyers® Personal Injury – Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year” in Houston, and has been named the Best Lawyers’ Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year” in Houston on three separate occasions. He has received some of the highest legal honors in the state, including being awarded the State Bar of Texas President’s Award (recognizing the one Texas Lawyer who provided the most outstanding contributions through distinguished service to the lawyers of Texas), the Judge Sam Williams Award (recognizing the Texas lawyer who provides the greatest contribution to both local bars and the State Bar of Texas), and the Houston Bar Association President’s Award (recognizing significant contributions to an HBA program). Early in his career, Randy was honored with the Woodrow B. Seals Outstanding Young Lawyer of Houston Award (recognizing the one young Houston lawyer who exemplified significant professional traits both inside and outside the practice of law). He started his career as a lawyer at the internationally acclaimed Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose Fulbright).
Alex Farias-Sorrels
Alex Farias-Sorrels is a passionate litigator, who left “Big-Law” to pursue her desire to help people who have been wrongly injured. She treats her clients like family and handles every aspect of her cases as if she were handling them for her own mother, father, sister, or brother. A Latina, native Houstonian, and bilingual lawyer, Alex is proud to bring a woman’s touch to personal injury law.
Alex attended both undergrad (2007) and law school (2010) at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, graduating with honors. While graduating in the top 10% of her law school class, Alex also interned for the appellate division of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston and for Legal Services of Greater Miami.
After law school, as part of a fellowship program, Alex served as a full-time law clerk for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Jeff Bohm for a year. At the same time, and on a part-time basis, she received her first exposure to plaintiffs’ work at a respected personal injury law firm in Houston where she handled personal injury cases and business disputes. In her second year of practice, she worked as a briefing attorney for the Supreme Court of Texas, clerking for Justice David Medina. There, she assisted the Court in assessing complex state law issues and also helped draft the Court’s opinions.
After her term at the Court, Alex joined the international law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, a Philadelphia-based firm with over 2,200 lawyers worldwide. Alex practiced in the firm’s Houston litigation section and focused mostly on complex commercial cases and insurance recovery cases. She also handled products liability and personal injury cases, including aircraft crashes. She served as first-chair counsel in more than ten trials, and was often called on to assist on thorny appellate issues. Alex’s largest victory came in an arbitration award, as she was instrumental in securing an almost $300 million arbitration award on behalf of a major Fortune 500 company on a fraudulent transfer claim.
Alex and her husband Randy Sorrels have a young son, Houston Alexander, who is bilingual, and keeps them busy when they are not working. They also have two rescue dogs – Gio and Luna. Alex is active in the bar, currently serving as a board member on both the Texas Bar Foundation and the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
Tuesday Mar 31, 2026
This week Steve and Yvonne interview Natalie Woodward of Warshauer Woodward Atkins (https://warlawgroup.com/) and Dax López of DelCampo Grayson Lopez Attorneys at Law (https://dglattorneys.com/).
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Guest Bios:
Natalie Woodward
Anyone who meets Natalie Woodward feels like they have known her their entire life. It is this ability to put people at ease that makes her such an effective trial lawyer. Natalie secured a $77.7 million psychiatric malpractice verdict in September 2022 for the Carusillo family who’s son was forced out of a mental health facility without his medication in 2017. Watch the News Nation interview about the case.
In 2010, she tried her first jury trial as lead counsel in a wrongful arrest case and secured a $1 million verdict which is the largest verdict of its kind in Georgia history. In 2021, she was interviewed about this trial. https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-e8jnd-101dc94
Her cases have made international and national news including her fight to protect the rights of children on social media. https://youtu.be/cfGYpv8iKIE
In 2014, she argued before the Georgia Court of Appeals to obtain increased protection for children targeted on social media. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ga-court-of-appeals/1680364.html Natalie has also led the fight to secure justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse.
Natalie is a proud native of Powder Springs, Georgia and is a venerable “Double Dawg.” She received undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Political Science from UGA and then graduated from UGA Law in 2002. While in law school, she was a member of the 2001 Champion Intrastate Moot Court Team, President of her Second Year Class and Chair of the Moot Court Board.
Natalie serves on the Executive Committee for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and the Bench and Bar Committee of the State Bar of Georgia. She has been recognized by her peers as one of the best lawyers in the State for the past six years and was selected as one of the Best Young Lawyers in Georgia by Atlanta Magazine.
Dax López
For nearly 11 years, Dax served as a judge on the State Court of DeKalb County where he presided over complex criminal and civil matters. As only the second Hispanic judge on a court of record in the history of Georgia, Dax was known to be an efficient, fair, and just jurist who earned the respect of lawyers and litigants alike.
A native of Ponce Puerto Rico, Dax attended Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt Law School where he was an editor on the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law and the president of the Vanderbilt Bar Association. After law school, Dax served as the law clerk for federal judge Hector M. Laffitte in the Federal District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, Dax was a trial lawyer at three prestigious law firms in Atlanta specializing in complex civil matters, business litigation, product liability, and employment law.
Throughout his legal career, Dax has received numerous recognitions. Dax has been named as one of the Top Fifty Industry Leaders by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, as among Georgia’s Legal Elite by Georgia Trend magazine, and as a Rising Star in 2009 and 2010 by the SuperLawyer Magazine. In 2010, Mundo Hispanico named Dax to be the Funcionario Destacado del Aňo. In 2011, Dax was named by Georgia Trend Magazine to be among the best and brightest 40 Under 40 and by The Fulton Daily Report to be among those in the legal profession who were “On the Rise.” He is also the recipient of the Justice Benham Community Service Award.
Dax served on the Board of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials for 15 years, and as President of the Georgia Hispanic Bar Association from 2006-2008. He is also a past president of the Cooper Inn of Court. Currently, he is a Trustee on the Board of Leadership Georgia, a member of the Board of Councilors for the American Jewish Committee, and a member of the Anti-Defamation League’s regional board. He is also a member of the State Bar of Georgia’s Board of Governors and a member of the Standing Committee of Interpreters.
In 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Dax to a vacant seat on the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Unfortunately, Dax did not receive a hearing in the U.S. Senate and his nomination expired at the end of President Obama’s term.
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Tuesday Mar 17, 2026
Tuesday Mar 17, 2026
This week Steve and Yvonne interview Anthony Elman & Frederick Joseph of Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC (https://www.elmanlaw.com/).
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Guest Bios:
Anthony Ellman
Anthony (Tony) Elman is the Lead Trial Attorney of the Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC. He has been named a "Super Lawyer" by Thomson Reuters each year from 2016-2022. This "Super Lawyer" designation is granted to no more than 5% of lawyers based upon 12 indicators of both professional achievement as well as peer recognition.
Anthony Elman was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 22, 1966. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1988 from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, went on to earn his J.D. degree in 1991 from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and earned his Master of Law degree (L.L.M.) in health care law in 1994 from the DePaul Law School/Health Law Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He was admitted to the State of Illinois Bar and the General and Trial Bar of the United States District Court of North Eastern Illinois in 1992.
Frederick Joseph
Frederick is a partner and trial lawyer for the Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC. He was named to the 2021 & 2022 "Rising Stars" group of lawyers by Thomson Reuters as part of their "Super Lawyers" awards. This "Rising Stars" designation is for those under 40 years old or who have been practicing law for 10 years or less and is granted to the Top 2.5% of lawyers. The designation is based upon 12 indicators encompassing both professional achievement and peer review.
The Elman Joseph Law Group concentrates on Illinois personal injury lawsuits involving car, truck, SUV, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian accident injuries. The firm also handles cases involving premises liability injury cases (including "slip & fall" accidents), workplace accidents, injuries and accidents that occur in nursing homes, and other situations where injury or death has resulted due to the negligence or intentional actions of another person.
Frederick prides himself on his success rate at arbitration and at trial. Like other lawyers at the Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC, he is unwilling to just "settle" cases by accepting inappropriate offers from the insurance companies.
Among his accomplishments are the results he achieved in two Cook County car accident cases. Mr. Joseph has obtained the highest jury verdict awards in two separate Cook County municipal division courtrooms in 2018. Both verdicts are more than double the amount of the next highest verdict in their respective courtrooms. In one car accident court trial, the verdict was 12 times the final offer from the defense attorney; in the other lawsuit, the verdict was over 5 times the final offer from the defense attorney.
Another example of Mr. Joseph's trial capabilities took place recently in Cook County. The plaintiff (a public school teacher) was struck after the defendant ran a red light and collided with her vehicle. The insurance company wanted to settle the case for less than the plaintiff's medical bills, and award her nothing for her pain and suffering. Mr. Joseph, unwilling to settle for that amount, took the case to trial. After closing arguments, the jury returned a verdict for his client for over four times what the insurance company was offering to settle the case.
He graduated from the Purchase College Conservatory of Music, and he continued his graduate studies at Boston University. His J.D. degree is from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law. During law school, he was a member of the Dean’s List, participated on the ABA Mock Trial Team, and spent two years clerking in the litigation/product liability group for a prestigious national corporate defense firm.
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Tuesday Mar 03, 2026
Tuesday Mar 03, 2026
This week, Steve and Yvonne interview David Yarborough and William Applegate of Yarborough Applegate Law Firm, LLC (https://www.yarboroughapplegate.com/).
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Case Details:
Yarborough Applegate secured a landmark jury verdict against Amazon for $44.6 million, including $30 million in punitive damages, after a man was catastrophically injured in a motorcycle collision with an Amazon van on Orangeburg Road in Summerville, South Carolina. This distracted driving case marks the first time Amazon has tested with a jury the issue of whether the online retail and global logistics giant will be held responsible for injuries caused by one of its 285,000 Amazon Delivery Associates (drivers) it calls independent contractors.
Yarborough Applegate attorneys David Yarborough, Alexandra Heaton, and William Applegate, working alongside Nick Clekis of the Clekis Law Firm in Charleston, represented a motorcyclist who sustained a traumatic brain injury and numerous orthopedic injuries in September 2021 when an Amazon Delivery Associate failed to yield to the right of way and turned left directly into his path. We filed suit against the driver, the local delivery company MJV Logistics, and Amazon, Amazon Services, and Amazon Logistics Inc. Source.
Guest Bios:
David Yarborough
David has a history of achieving record-breaking jury verdicts and settlements for his clients. In December 2023, David and partners obtained a $44.6 million jury verdict against Amazon.com, Inc. in the first case to hold Amazon vicariously liable under an agency theory for the vicarious and negligent acts of its delivery drivers, whom Amazon claims are independent contractors. This was the largest personal injury verdict ever awarded in conservative Dorchester County and is believed to be one of the largest jury verdicts in South Carolina history in an injury case not involving death. Read more about this case here.
In October 2021, David achieved the largest dram shop verdict ever in Charleston County, South Carolina, for the sale of alcohol to minors by a Sunoco gas station. David and the firm also achieved one of the top 100 jury verdicts in the United States from their $35.9 million verdict against PEPCO in conservative Montgomery County, Maryland.
David has collected jury verdicts and settlements totaling hundreds of millions of dollars for his catastrophically injured clients in cases involving bad faith against insurance companies; industrial plant injuries resulting in worker deaths; product liability from automobile rollovers and industrial machine injuries; toxic chemical spills by railroad companies; pool drownings; trucking and auto accidents; nursing home and daycare negligence; dram shop and alcohol liability negligence by bars and restaurants; and negligence by retail stores, energy companies, apartment complexes, hotels, and construction contractors for job-site, balcony collapse and premises injuries.
He is a member of the Charleston Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), the South Carolina Association of Justice, the American Association for Justice, the Charleston County Bar’s Mental Wellness Committee, Lawyers Helping Lawyers, and the Board of Regents of TriCounty Family Ministries. For the past twenty-five years, David has been heavily involved in mentoring and counseling people suffering from alcoholism and addiction who are seeking recovery. He places a large emphasis on giving back to the local community through free legal work and generous financial and service contributions to local charities each year. He and his wife, Jessica, are Charleston natives and have four children.
Prior to founding Yarborough Applegate, David was a partner at another Charleston-based law firm, where he was part of a national trial team defending products liability cases in trials across the United States. His experience handling national litigation and having represented both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts around the country provides him with a varied perspective in discovery strategy, negotiations, and trial.
William Applegate
With nearly twenty years of experience in the courtroom, William is a seasoned trial lawyer with a track record of success. He has successfully litigated complex cases involving toxic torts, electrocutions, police negligence, medical negligence, and premises liability, representing clients suffering from the most severe catastrophic injuries. Beyond having had numerous trial victories, he has also achieved two record-breaking verdicts, been recognized by his peers as one of the top litigators in the state, won numerous awards as a leader in the law, and has been consistently given Martindale-Hubbell’s highest ranking as an AV lawyer.
Beyond his experience and hard work, he is a passionate advocate for his clients, who are defined by determination and perseverance. William understands that his clients, many of whom find themselves in desperate situations following serious trauma, such as the death of a loved one or experiencing life-altering injuries, are relying on him, and he takes this responsibility personally.
In 2014, William and his team represented 28-year-old paralyzed construction worker Hugo Hernandez against PEPCO (Potomac Energy and Power Company). After a two-week trial against PEPCO in Montgomery County, Maryland, the jury awarded Mr. Hernandez $35.9 million in damages in compensation for the overwhelming cost of Mr. Hernandez’s future medical care as a young, C4 paraplegic as well as for his pain and suffering and loss of income. This was the largest verdict in Montgomery County history and was one of the largest verdicts in American history for an undocumented worker.
In 2019, William represented an undocumented worker who was killed when electrocuted by a power line that was hidden by vegetation, which Dominion Energy had failed to maintain, and a jury returned a $21 million dollar verdict, the largest verdict in the history of Colleton County, SC.
In 2021, William represented a Claflin College student who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a car crash caused by a road construction defect. After a two-week trial, the jury returned a $13.1 million dollar verdict against the road contractor Archer Western and the Department of Transportation, also awarding punitive damages against Archer Western. In all three of these cases, William refused offers of millions of dollars to ensure his clients were fully compensated by a jury.
William was born in Charleston, SC, and with the exception of studying abroad to become fluent in Spanish, he has remained in SC his entire life. He is a graduate of the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina School of Law. As a law student, he received the Public Interest Law Society Grant to work in Washington, D.C., served as vice-president of the Pro Bono Board, and was a student member of the John Belton O’Neal Inn of Court. Following law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable James R. Barber, III, of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of South Carolina before starting in private practice with Motley Rice, one of the largest plaintiff’s firms in the country.
William has a deep commitment to South Carolina and is very involved in his community in Charleston. He serves on the board of the Historic Charleston Foundation and actively supports numerous charitable organizations, including One80 Place, in their fight against homelessness, Communities in Schools, the Coastal Conservation League, and the Southern Environmental Law Center.
William is a regular speaker at various legal conferences, is a member of the American Bar Association and Charleston County Bar Association, and is an active member of the South Carolina Association for Justice. When not working, William and his wife, Lydia, enjoy raising their two children in South Carolina.
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Tuesday Feb 17, 2026
Tuesday Feb 17, 2026
On this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview trial lawyers Todd Poses, Adam Boumel, and Doug Eaton about Benavides (on behalf of Bel Benavides Leone) and Dylan Angulo v. Tesla, Inc., described as the first “enhanced autopilot” case against Tesla to reach a verdict.
CASE SUMMARY:
The case stems from an April 25, 2019 crash on Card Sound Road where Tesla driver George McGee, using Enhanced Autopilot, dropped his phone and, while reaching for it with his foot on the accelerator, ran a stop sign at a T-intersection and struck an SUV and the two people nearby—killing 22-year-old Bel Benavides Leone and catastrophically injuring Dylan Angulo (including traumatic brain injury/brain bleed, jaw fractures, and multiple fractures to his back, hip, and pelvis). READ MORE
GUEST BIOS
Todd Poses: He started his practice as a lawyer with his father who was one of Miami’s premier plaintiff trial lawyers and has himself been practicing now for over 30 years. In that time, he has tried dozens of cases to verdict, including high profile cases and catastrophic injury cases, most recently before the Tesla verdict a $7.7 million verdict for DJ Laz stemming from non-surgical injuries suffered in an elevator malfunction case.
Adam Boumel: Adam Boumel is a skilled trial attorney known for delivering results in high-stakes personal injury cases across Florida and California. Born in Boston and raised in South Florida, Adam began his career in the entertainment industry, working as a successful talent agent and promoter for large-scale music festivals. Initially planning to become an entertainment lawyer, he earned his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California.
Doug Eaton: Doug Eaton has a wide-ranging litigation practice, with his primary focus on plaintiff’s catastrophic injury cases and appeals. These include medical malpractice, products liability, motor vehicle accidents, nursing home negligence, and other serious personal injury matters. He litigates matters at both the trial and appellate levels and provides trial and appellate support to other attorneys throughout the state. Mr. Eaton has briefed and argued appeals in state and federal courts throughout Florida. Mr. Eaton is a founding member of Eaton & Wolk.
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Tuesday Feb 03, 2026
Tuesday Feb 03, 2026
In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey are joined by renowned trial and jury consultant Robert Hirschhorn.
They discuss a variety of topics ranging from Hirschhorn's journey into the field, insights into high-profile cases, and practical tips for selecting juries in complex trials. Robert shares stories from notable cases, including a landmark verdict in Cox vs. the State of Washington and strategies that led to a $440 million verdict in Grantham vs. Stewart Petroleum Testers.
He emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between liability and damages juries and introduces Verdict Hub, a new AI-driven tool for trial preparation.
GUEST BIO:
Robert Hirschhorn of Cathy E. Bennett & Associates, Inc., is an attorney and a nationally recognized expert in jury and trial consultation. A jury consultant since 1985, Robert has selected juries that have returned tens of billions of dollars in verdicts. Jury verdicts since 2018 include:
1. $2.065 Billion awarded by a Georgia state court jury in a RoundUp case. (2025)
2. $109.5 Million for severe burns due to a house explosion. (2025)
3. $60 Million Verdict against Mead Johnson in the first Enfamil Baby Formula case. (2024)
4. $2.25 Billion awarded by a Philadelphia state court jury in a RoundUp case. (2024)
5. $175 Million awarded by a Philadelphia state court jury in a RoundUp case. (2023)
Robert has also authored four books and several articles for Law360, Texas Lawyer, and AAJ. He has appeared on Good Morning America, MSNBC, Court TV, CNN, HLN, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Nightline, and many national radio programs. He lectures nationwide to lawyers and judges on the art of jury selection.
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, host Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey welcome guest Eric Fong to discuss a significant case involving Jessica Hilton versus the Washington Department of Corrections and Child Protective Services.
CASE SUMMARY:
**TRIGGER WARNING**
The case in focus deals with severe instances of sexual abuse, specifically involving Jessica Hilton and multiple failures of state agencies to protect her and her siblings.
ERIC FONG BIO:
Eric has obtained the two largest general damages jury verdicts for one person in Washington state history; $91,000,000 for a premise liability matter that resulted in a TBI and $42,000,000 for the governmental neglect of a child that resulted in abuse and PTSD. Eric began his career as a public defender, dedicating 11 years advocating for those in need — work he remains most proud of to this day. With nearly three decades of trial experience, Eric has tried over 100 cases to verdict and has received state and national trial lawyer of the year awards. In addition to his legal practice, Eric loves teaching and has been an instructor of the Gerry Spence Method for over 20 years. Eric loves working with his wife on their cut flower farm, hiking and fishing. (READ MORE)
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, host Steve Lowry interviews John Rushing, a prominent trial lawyer and partner at Rushing McCarl, LLP. The discussion delves into a significant business dispute case, Virgin Scent Inc. dba ArtNaturals vs. BT Supplies West Inc., tried in federal court in Los Angeles in November 2022.
CASE SUMMARY:
Rushing McCarl LLP secured a $17.8 million jury verdict on behalf of cosmetics manufacturer Virgin Scent, Inc. dba Artnaturals. The jury found that defendant BT Supplies Inc. had breached contracts to buy millions of hand sanitizer bottles and masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. BT Supplies was represented by Nixon Peabody LLP, an Am Law 100 firm. (READ MORE)
JOHN RUSHING BIO:
John Rushing is a premier trial attorney and oral advocate who, as the leader of Rushing McCarl’s trial team, has secured multimillion-dollar jury verdicts in several state and federal jury trials since co-founding the firm in 2020. These victories included wins in contract and partnership disputes brought for California businesses, including a unanimous $17.8 million jury verdict won for a large manufacturer. Mr. Rushing was named to Super Lawyers in 2025. (READ MORE)
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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1
Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
Tuesday Dec 23, 2025
Tuesday Dec 23, 2025
In this 200th EPISODE of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry hosts a detailed discussion with Randy Jordan, an experienced trial lawyer from HunterMaclean in coastal Georgia. The focus is on the complex case of Poppell v. Cardinal Health, McKesson Corporation, and Smith Corporation, which involved 21 plaintiffs and highlighted the opioid crisis.
CASE SUMMARY:
In the case of Poppell, et al, vs McKesson, et al, twenty-one plaintiffs sued three wholesale medicine and medical supply distributors, including McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, and J.M. Smith. Under Georgia’s Drug Dealer Liability Act, the plaintiffs claimed that the three companies acted as illegal drug dealers in filling orders for opioid medications placed by pharmacies and hospitals in Coastal Georgia. The plaintiffs, mostly children of the addicts, claimed extensive mental and psychological damage resulting from their parents’ addictions. (READ MORE)
RANDY JORDAN:
He is a uniquely experienced trial attorney, having tried well over one hundred
jury cases in state and federal courts across the country. For over thirty years,
Randy has defended some of America’s largest railroads in a wide array of
business and tort matters, including the defense of hundreds of asbestos
and other toxic exposure claims. In recent years, Randy has served as lead
trial counsel for a major medical supply and distribution company in its opioid
litigation. Randy frequently appears in state and federal appellate courts
throughout the Southeast and is a frequent speaker on issues relating to the
transportation industry. (READ FULL BIO)
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Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com
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