The Great Trials Podcast

Steve Lowry sits down with Motley Rice partners Michael Pendell and Chelsea Monroe about State of New Mexico/DOJ v. Meta Platforms, Inc., which produced a $375 million jury verdict for Unfair Practices Act violations and a $567 million bench-trial public nuisance abatement award, totaling $942 million.   CASE SUMMARY: The case, brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, alleged Meta designed and operated its platforms with inadequate protections that enabled predators to find, groom, and exploit vulnerable children. The complaint asserted multiple violations of the state’s Unfair Practices Act, supported by claims that defendants misrepresented or omitted material facts about the risks their products posed to minors. Motley Rice served as trial counsel for the State of New Mexico. (READ MORE)   GUEST BIOS CHELSEA L. MONROE: Chelsea Monroe represents victims of defective medical devices, medical drugs and cosmetic products, as well as families and communities harmed by toxic exposure. Specifically, Chelsea’s casework focuses on women’s health issues. She is a member of the Leadership Development Committee in MDL 3060 In re: Hair Relaxer Marketing Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation in the Northern District of Illinois. The thousands of plaintiffs in the MDL argue they developed gynecological cancers after using certain chemical hair relaxers. They assert defendant manufacturers failed to adequately test the products and warn customers about potential harms. (READ MORE)   MICHAEL J. PENDELL: Michael Pendell is a trial lawyer who represents people affected by corporate wrongdoing, including whistleblowers, people harmed by tobacco, prescription medications, dangerous medical devices, and victims of international terrorism. He also represents pension fund trustees and other institutional investors in securities, consumer fraud, and other complex class actions. Michael served as trial counsel in a number of prescription opioid lawsuits representing dozens of governmental entities, including states, cities, and counties in litigation against several pharmaceutical drug manufacturers and distributors for the alleged deceptive marketing and distribution of highly addictive prescription opioids. (READ MORE)   LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motleyricelaw/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MotleyRice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/motley-rice/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MotleyRice --- Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast --- Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services  Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production   FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Welcome and Guests 01:39 Meet Michael Pendell 03:19 Meet Chelsea Monroe 04:15 Motley Rice Tribute 05:08 Case Verdict Breakdown 06:10 What Meta Did Wrong 08:59 How Damages Were Calculated 11:56 Phase Two Public Nuisance 15:25 Injunctions and COPPA 20:07 Building the Trial Machine 23:01 Parallel California Trial 25:54 Shocking Evidence and Whistleblowers 34:14 Whistleblower Culture Shift 36:05 Section 230 Strategy 39:53 Jury Selection Reality Check 44:19 Focus Groups And Timing 46:29 Meta Defense Tactics 50:08 Mosseri Safety Slipup 53:55 Appeals And Wrap Up

In this classic episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey are joined by renowned Miami lawyer Sagi Shaked. They delve into a significant wrongful death case Shaked successfully tried in 2017, resulting in a $12,240,000 verdict. Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite platform.   Case Details: "After a 4-day trial, we obtained a $12,240,000.00 verdict on behalf of a family that lost their mother as a result of a tragic head-on automobile collision. The trial team consisted of Sagi Shaked, Joel Roth, Manny Lorenzana and Iury Carvalho. Unfortunately, Roitiki Tyler only got to see her star athlete son play one college game. Tyler was accompanied by her 11-year-old, who flew from Florida to Iowa to watch Devontre Tyler play middle linebacker in a Saturday game in November 2014. The following night, Tyler was driving home when a Ford F-150 truck hit them head-on at 65 mph. The mother of two died. Her young son survived his mother without physical injuries, but whose subsequent emotional traumatization led a jury to award them with $12.24 million." (Source) (More Coverage on Case Details) --- Guest Bio: Sagi Shaked As an experienced Miami personal injury lawyer, Sagi Shaked actively litigates cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death on behalf of victims and their families. These cases include car accidents, product liability, medical negligence and malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect, trucking accidents, industrial manufacturers, insurance disputes, premises liability, drowning accidents, airline accidents, burn-related accidents, and others. Sagi Shaked has been practicing law since 2000 and went on to found the successful Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers in 2007, where he became one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States as named by the American Trial Lawyers Association. This highly coveted honor was bestowed upon Mr. Shaked for his exemplary legal expertise, compassion for his clients, and consistently recovering multi-millions of dollars in damages for those he represents.  Read Full Bio --- LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Shaked Law Firm on Facebook Sagi Shaked on LinkedIn Shaked Law Firm on Instagram Shaked Law Firm on YOUTUBE --- Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast --- Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services  Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production

In this episode of The Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey welcome guests Tara Sutton and Philip Seiff from Robbins Kaplan LLP. The discussion centers on the significant legal case, McDougal vs. CRC Industries, which resulted in a $7.75 million verdict (later over $10.5 million after post-judgment adjustments).    Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts: Click Here to Rate and Review   Case Details: The Robins Kaplan trial team secured a groundbreaking $7.75 million verdict against CRC Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of aerosol dust remover products. This is believed to be the first known case against a dust remover manufacturer that has been tried to a plaintiff verdict. The litigation stemmed from a tragic vehicle crash in 2019 where the client’s wife was killed after her car was struck by a driver who was impaired from huffing CRC Duster. Inhaling this product can cause dramatic impairment effects from the chemical used as a propellant.  The case focused on the well-known abuse of aerosol dust remover products, such as CRC Duster, and CRC Industries’ responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of their products' misuse. (Source)   Guest Bio: Tara Sutton Tara Sutton, chair of Robins Kaplan’s National Mass Tort Group, has built a distinguished career in mass tort litigation and is renowned for her dedicated, unyielding commitment to justice. Her career has been marked by steadfast advocacy, and an unrelenting pursuit for accountability over corporate misconduct. Tara stands out as the embodiment of legal excellence representing individuals, governments, and Tribal Nations harmed by defective products or corporate negligence. Her legal acumen and tenacity is evident as she navigates the complex landscape of mass torts — including cases involving defective products, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, and faulty medical devices. Read Full Bio Philip Sieff Trial lawyer Phil Sieff battles for justice when wrongdoers cause serious injury or death. Intense and relentless, he helps clients find the courage they need to face those who have hurt them. He has significant experience representing families coping with the wrongful death of a loved one, particularly a child, having handled hundreds of wrongful death cases. He has particular experience in complex and high-profile cases, including: the I-35W Bridge Collapse (lead co-counsel of I-35W Consortium, a group of 17 law firms that provided legal services to over 100 collapse victims); the Red Lake High School Shooting; and the Holidazzle Parade Disaster. Read Full Bio Links: Robins Kaplan on Facebook Tara Sutton on LinkedIn Philip Sieff on LinkedIn Robins Kaplan on X   LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM: Great Trials Podcast Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services  Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week, on a classic episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey spoke with renowned trial lawyer Joe Fried from Fried Goldberg LLC about his landmark case, Bradfield vs. Amazon Logistics, which resulted in a $16.2 million verdict. The case involved an 8-year-old boy, Gabe Bradfield, who suffered severe injuries after being struck and dragged by an Amazon delivery van. (More details on the case here)   Joe Fried Joe Fried is one of the original truck accident lawyers in the country and is widely recognized as a top attorney in the field. His passion for what he does shines through, and his reputation and record-setting results speak for themselves. Joe has litigated cases in more than 43 states, which gives him an unmatched perspective, and his leadership in the field of truck accident law and trucking safety is second to none. Joe is known as one of the principal founders of truck accident law as a unique field. He has changed the way truck crash cases are handled, helping Fried Goldberg LLC earn a national reputation. Joe is credited with developing many of the best practices used by lawyers nationally in truck accident investigation and truck accident litigation. (Read full bio)   CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST: Fried Goldberg LLC Fried Goldberg on LinkedIn Joe Fried on LinkedIn  Fried Goldberg on Facebook Fried Goldberg on Instagram LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM: Great Trials Podcast Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services  Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

On the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowery and Yvonne Godfrey welcome California trial lawyer Ed Dudensing of the Dudensing Law Firm to discuss a Sacramento County verdict (March 2026) in an elder abuse/wrongful death case for 100-year-old Mildred Hernandez, brought by her daughter Teresa Ludlow and three sisters   CASE DETAILS: Mildred, a dementia patient at Greenhaven Estates Assisted Living Facility, allegedly suffered worsening wandering that was not documented or reported, and an alarm system was not working; she exited near her room, fell downstairs, and died of hypothermia after temperatures dropped to 38 degrees. The jury awarded $10.2M compensatory damages (including pre-death pain and suffering) and $100M punitive damages, allocated $92M to Colony Capital and $8M to Formation Capital. Dudensing explains long-term care corporatization, REIT/RIDEA structures, discovery strategies to trace control through layered LLCs, and proving notice, understaffing, and neglect. (READ MORE)   GUEST BIO: As the founder and lead counsel at Dudensing Law, Edward P. Dudensing specializes in representing plaintiffs in elder abuse cases, with a particular focus on neglect and abuse that takes place in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, acute hospitals, home health agencies, and hospice agencies. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s most successful and knowledgeable elder abuse attorneys. Based in California, Mr. Dudensing serves clients across the state, including Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, Central California, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego. His ability to navigate the intricacies of elder law and his relentless pursuit of justice have solidified his standing as a leader in the field. During his 23+ year career dedicated to compassionately representing victims of elder abuse and their families, Mr. Dudensing has successfully brought cases against some of California’s largest assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and healthcare conglomerates, securing well over $250+ million in recoveries on behalf of his clients. (READ MORE)   CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS: Ed Dudensing on LINKEDIN Ed Dudensing on FACEBOOK   LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM: Great Trials Podcast Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services  Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2   FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Podcast Open 00:14 Small World Plane Story 02:26 Meet Trial Lawyer Ed 05:31 Case Overview and Verdict 06:54 How Mildred Died 10:13 Big Finance in Elder Care 14:34 Unmasking the Corporate Web 22:24 REIT RIDEA Defense Explained 25:31 Understaffing and Notice Evidence 28:04 Multiple Theories for the Jury 31:30 Missing Documentation Exposed 35:10 Finding Former Employees 35:57 Hunting Witness Statements 36:56 Damages For Centenarian 41:06 Humanizing The Plaintiff 45:24 Trial Strategy And Humility 50:30 Punitive Damages Breakdown 55:58 Jury Debrief And Verdict Form 57:43 Focus Groups And Alternatives 58:44 Corporate Veil Theater 01:03:31 Closing Lessons And Wrap Up