Trial Guides wanted to let you know of a record-setting verdict obtained in a conservative county, in the hope it will help you in your cases. In this case, trial great Nick Rowley’s fifteen-year-old client was seriously injured when the vehicle she was in rolled over. Her nose and cheekbone were broken, her ear was torn off, and she received permanent nerve damage to the right side of her face. Her medical bills were just under $60,000. Nick’s team alleged that the vehicle had been negligently maintained and operated. Despite the plaintiff’s life-changing injuries, the insurer offered $0 for eight years.
Though they admitted negligence, the defense refused to pay. They disputed the seriousness of the plaintiff’s injuries. Right before trial, the defense finally made an offer of $220,000—a fraction of the amount that the jury agreed to at the end of the trial.
When the case finally made it to trial, a jury in Howard County, Iowa awarded Nick’s client $1,559,189 in a record-breaking verdict for the county. The trial team consisted of Nick Rowley, Courtney Rowley, Dominic Pechota, and Rod Ritner from the law firm of Trial Lawyers for Justice in Decorah, Iowa. Nick felt that the verdict was held down because of the jury’s concern about how the defendants would pay for a larger verdict. He had requested a jury instruction that would have told the jury not to consider how any verdict would be paid for, but the trial judge wouldn’t allow it.
Throughout the trial, Nick used his Trial by Human method to build rapport with the jurors in voir dire, earn credibility in opening, and demonstrate the value of his client and her loss. This was Nick’s 116th trial. Together with his other cases, this trial has resulted in a total of over $500 million in verdicts across multiple case types and states.
To learn how Rowley and his team obtained this and many other outstanding outcomes for their clients, check out Jury Selection & Opening Statements by Nicholas Rowley, Courtney Rowley, and Joseph Low. This new video contains hands-on demonstrations that show you how to apply Rowley's winning Trial by Human method to your next case.
