Verdict

Florida Hospital Found Liable for Wrongful Separation of Child and Mother, Hit With $50 Million Verdict

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St. Petersburg, Florida – In a groundbreaking medical malpractice case, a Florida jury awarded an additional $50 million in damages, bringing the total penalty against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital to over a quarter billion dollars. The jury found the hospital liable on all counts, ruling that it wrongfully separated Maya Kowalski from her mother, who tragically took her own life. This case was prominently featured in the popular Netflix documentary “Take Care of Maya.” The jury’s decision was based on a range of offenses committed by the hospital. They found that the facility had … Read more

University of Washington Hit with $16 Million Verdict in Landmark Racism Lawsuit by Black Police Officers

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Seattle, Washington – The University of Washington has been ordered to pay a $16 million verdict by a King County jury after five Black university police officers filed a lawsuit detailing years of racist comments and discrimination by white supervisors and colleagues. This six-week trial included testimony from numerous witnesses, including university President Ana Mari Cauce, who attested to dozens of instances of hostility and racism towards the Black officers. Toby Marshall, the officers’ attorney, celebrated the verdict as a triumph for racial justice, asserting that it exposed “discrimination within the department at personal risk.” … Read more

Minnesota Lawyer Secures Record-Breaking $564 Million Verdict by Uncovering Destroyed Evidence in Historic Ponzi Scheme Case

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – In a groundbreaking verdict, Michael Collyard ’00, a partner at Robins Kaplan, won a jury trial that resulted in a record-setting $564 million judgment. The case centered around Tom Petters’ massive Ponzi scheme, which was one of the largest financial scams in U.S. history and the largest in Minnesota. Collyard strategically focused on the absence of millions of destroyed documents as evidence, ultimately leading to his victory. Collyard served as the lead trial counsel, and in November 2022, a federal jury ordered BMO Harris Bank to pay bankruptcy trustee Douglas Kelley a … Read more

Federal Judge Upholds $24 Million Verdict in Landmark Disability Discrimination Lawsuit against Clinical Testing Firm

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS — A federal district court judge in Massachusetts has upheld a $24 million jury award for a former employee who sued her employer for retaliation and discrimination based on her social anxiety disorder. The employer, PPD Development, had requested the court to set aside or reduce the award, arguing that it was excessive and unsupported. However, U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin rejected these requests and affirmed the jury’s verdict. In 2015, Lisa Menninger was hired as the executive director of the central labs at PPD, a clinical testing firm. She began working … Read more