The Great Trials Podcast

On the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview North Georgia trial lawyer Matt Cook about his June 2026 Rabun County, Georgia medical malpractice trial that produced a $22 million verdict for Carol Tucker (wrongful death $6M, estate pain and suffering $10M, loss of consortium $6M) after her 71-year-old husband David Tucker suffered an undiagnosed cervical fracture from a 2018 rear-end crash. (READ MORE)   GUEST BIO: Matt Cook Matt’s intellect, unique style, genuine empathy, ability to relate to juries and fearlessness has led to more than $700 million in verdicts and settlements for clients. Recent recoveries include a $70 million medical malpractice verdict in April, 2025, a $10 million wrongful death settlement in March, 2025, $9.1 million verdict in March, 2025, $10 million wrongful death settlement at trial in February, 2024, a $7,668,507.91 verdict in 2023 (with fees) and $33 million wrongful death settlement in February, 2024, $18.5 million settlement in 2023, $21.5 million settlement in 2023, $10 million settlement in 2023 and numerous others. Matt and his firm have deep experience in having successfully handled all types of complex litigation including Aviation crashes, product liability claims, trucking cases, medical malpractice cases, whistleblower actions, and bad faith insurance litigation among other claims. (READ MORE)   LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Cook Law Group Facebook: Cook Law Group LLC | Gainesville GA | Facebook Website: About - Cook Law Group, LLC   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 Great Trials Cold Open 00:37 Meet the Hosts and Guest 04:05 Case Intro and Verdict 04:57 Crash to Missed Diagnosis 07:33 Paralysis and Wrongful Death 10:32 Taking the Case Late 15:09 Key Deposition Admission 19:27 Venue Choice and ER Themes 21:33 Beating Gross Negligence 26:21 Defense Theories and Rebuttals 30:00 Trial Moments and Jury Strategy 37:30 DISH Condition and Caregiving 39:54 Deposition Clip Impact 42:19 Humanity Over Lawsuits 43:01 Bifurcated Damages Strategy 46:47 Flip Chart Trial Teaching 49:03 Explaining Odd Symptoms 51:06 Consortium And Life Care Plan 53:55 Defense Missteps And Sanctions 55:49 Verdict To Vacation Sprint 58:09 Voir Dire Lessons Learned 01:01:57 Closing Thoughts And Case Recap  

On the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview trial lawyers Rob Chaiken and Paul Perkins Jr. about Anthony McGowan v. City of Winter Garden, tried in March 2026 in Orange County, Florida, arising from a police pursuit that they argued should not have been initiated and should have been terminated.   CASE DETAILS: Anthony McGowan v. City of Winter Garden, tried in Orange County, Florida in March 2026, resulting in a $37,542,665.43 verdict. The case involved a police pursuit that plaintiffs argued should not have been initiated and should have been terminated; the chase averaged about 124 mph over 3.1 miles, and the pursued vehicle was not the one sought in an earlier home-invasion/kidnapping. The fleeing driver struck McGowan, causing catastrophic injuries and a later stroke after splenectomy; the driver fled and was never apprehended.    GUEST BIOS: Paul C. Perkins, Jr. was born and reared in Orlando, Florida. He developed a passionate desire to seek justice at an early age by watching his father Paul C. Perkins display his skills in court and act as a business and civic leader the community in which they lived. Paul’s parents instilled in him an understanding of the blessings he was given and the obligation he had to society to make an impact. “Of whom much is given, much is required.” After graduating from Trinity Preparatory School, he enrolled at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, surmising that there would be no better place to be prepared to serve than the training ground for some of America’s greatest leaders. At Morehouse, Mr. Perkins finally decided that the best way for him to make an impact was to follow in his father’s footsteps and seek justice in America’s courtrooms on behalf of those less fortunate. Knowing he would be returning to his home town, he enrolled at the University of Florida College of Law in Gainesville. (READ MORE)   Rob Chaiken was born in Falls Church, Virginia on March 26, 1966. He attended the University of Texas in Austin, where he graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He attended law school at the University of Florida and graduated from law school in 1991. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is a member of the United States District Courts for Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and Texas Trial Lawyers Associations (TTLA). (READ MORE)   LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:   Paul & Perkins, PA Instagram: @paulandperkins LinkedIn: Paul & Perkins, PA LinkedIn: Attorney Paul Perkins Jr. Website: paulandperkins.com   Chaiken & Chaiken, P.C. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chaikenlaw LinkedIn: Chaiken & Chaiken, P.C. LinkedIn: Robert Chaiken Instagram: @robertchaiken Instagram: @chaiken.law Website: chaikenlaw.com   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 Introductions 00:52 Rob Chaiken Background 01:19 Service Dogs Side Mission 02:31 Paul Perkins Legacy 03:29 Thurgood Marshall Juror Twist 06:05 Case Overview and Verdict 09:13 Pursuit Case Challenges 12:04 Missing Dash Cam Evidence 14:59 Driving the Route Math 17:17 Who Was the Striking Driver 19:35 Wrong Car Wrong Suspect 24:25 Officer Adrenaline First Chase 26:07 Dash Cam Surprise Before Trial 27:24 Orange County Venue Insights 29:47 Juror Questions Live Scoreboard 33:19 Juror Questions Midtrial 34:06 Voir Dire Police Bias 36:30 Flipping Policy Training 37:29 Why Take the Case 39:09 Proving Before and After 41:05 Seven Minute Damages Close 46:59 Anthony in Court Daily 50:20 Experts Live vs Video 53:32 Defense Missteps on Cross 54:52 Alternate Juror Feedback 57:02 Catching Officer Lies 01:00:45 Trial Lessons and Wrap Up

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