David Ball, Ph.D., the nation's leading jury consultant, and author of David Ball on Damages, is nearing completion of a Damages internet forum, where he will share with plaintiff lawyers, his most recent reseach on how to overcome jury bias. Trial Guides expects to open the forum in late August 2008.

David Ball, Ph.D., the nation's leading jury consultant, and author of David Ball on Damages, is nearing completion of a video for lawyers on how to do their own focus groups. The DVD, called Focus Groups: How to do Your Own Jury Research, will provide trial lawyers with up to date information on how to effectively use focus groups to refine your case and case themes. Trial Guides expects to release the DVD set in October 2008.

A federal court jury in Las Vegas returned unanimous verdicts last week against Paul Revere Life Insurance Company and UnumProvident Corporation (Unum Group) in the partial retrial of a lawsuit originally tried to verdict in 2004. In the 2004 trial, the jury awarded $1.6 Million in compensatory damages and $10 Million in punitive damages to G. Clinton Merrick in connection with the insurers' denial of his disability claim. The insurers appealed and the punitive award was ultimately sent back for retrial before a new jury. Merrick v. Paul Revere Life Ins. Co., 500 F.3d 1007, C.A.9 (Nev.), 2007.

In last week's verdicts, the jury ordered Paul Revere Life Insurance Co. to pay $24 Million and UnumProvident Corporation was ordered to pay $36 Million. The punitive award of $60 Million is six times the previous award that had been appealed by the insurers following the 2004 trial.

Trial Lawyer Rick Friedman alleged that improper claims handling practices begun at Provident were brought to Paul Revere and influenced its claim handling with respect to Merrick's claim both before the initial denial and afterward. These practices at the Unum Group of disability insurers have been the subject of media scrutiny including expose's on 60 Minutes and Dateline NBC as well as in multiple governmental investigations. "The jury heard evidence of a fifteen year scheme to cheat disabled people," said Rick Friedman, Merrick's lead trial attorney. "The money made off this scheme is in the hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars. Jury after jury, and regulator after regulator has condemned their practices, but still they continue." According to Friedman, "the verdicts will keep coming until their practices change."

In opening statement and throughout trial, Friedman used the trial techniques discussed in his best selling Trial Guides books Polarizing the Case, and Rules of the Road. To see the Judgment entered by the court on July 3, 2008, click here.

In a story released April 12, 2008, the New Orleans Times - Picayune cites Trial Guides upcoming public version of From Good Hands to Boxing Gloves as the reason Allstate Insurance released the McKinsey Documents on its web site a week earlier.

The Times-Picayune noted:

"The posting also comes a month before New Mexico attorney David Berardinelli releases a consumer-oriented book, "From Good Hands to Boxing Gloves: The Dark Side of Insurance," about Allstate's quest to become more profitable to the detriment of its customers, which he wrote after seeing some of the McKinsey documents in a car wreck case."

•From Good Hands to Boxing Gloves Public Version set for late May release. more...

Trial Guides is proud to announce an ongoing relationship with our best selling author Rick Friedman. Friedman, an Inner Circle of Advocates member, and best selling author of Rules of the Road and Polarizing the Case, has submitted his manuscript for his next book Rick Friedman on becoming a Trial Lawyer. Expected release is in November 2008.

Paul Luvera has been described as "a role model" by Gerry Spence. His recent $40.1 million verdict made national headlines, but it is only one of many major verdicts that have marked his career. Now, Luvera brings his acclaimed December 2008 lecture at the Fairmont in Seattle to Trial Guides. The set will include a 5 hour DVD set and a 300 page book on trial advocacy. Luvera, a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, joins fellow Inner Circle members Rick Friedman, Patrick Malone, Don Keenan and Jim Perdue at Trial Guides. Paul Luvera's DVD and book are expected in late July 2008.

David Ball, Ph.D., the nation's leading jury consultant, and author of David Ball on Damages, is presently shooting a video for lawyers on how to do their own focus groups. The DVD will be an update to his original video on this topic Do Your Own Jury Focus Group which was released in 1998, and has only been available on VHS. Trial Guides expects to release the completely new version of Do Your Own Focus Groups on DVD in August 2008.

William Barton, is one of the leading lawyers in the United States with over 500 trials to his credit. He is the best selling author of Recovering for Psychological Injuries, one of the best selling legal texts of its day, and cited by Rick Friedman as a "must read." Barton is back with a new book on complex injury cases (including psychological cases) with a book called Trial Strategy. Barton has also chosen Trial Guides for his second book, Integrated Advocacy, a book on a new method of litigation he has created. Both books will be released in Fall 2008.

Over the past year, jury consultant Eric Oliver, has been working on a number of products for Trial Guides. In May 2008, Trial Guides will release the audio book of Oliver's book "Facts Can't Speak for Themselves." Oliver is currently editing three videos on non-verbal communication for the courtroom as well, which Trial Guides expects to release in Winter 2008.

United Policyholders has chosen Trial Guides to distribute this important book for the public. The Disaster Recovery Handbook & Household Inventory Guide, allows homeowners to appropriately inventory their home before disaster strikes. It also allows those who have already survived a disaster inventory their home to ensure they supply appropriate information to their insurer. This book, already known as "the little yellow book" in natural disaster areas, has helped victims of Hurricane Katrina, and the fires in Southern California to pick up the pieces and move forward despite overwhelming circumstances.

Moe Levine was perhaps the greatest lawyer of his generation, and the first to provide any significant books or lectures on the topic of Advocacy. His books have been out of print for many years, and are not even available on the used market or command prices over $1000 per copy. Trial Guides is proud to bring you the definitive book on the public lectures and closing statements of Moe Levine, with an introduction by Inner Circle member Don Keenan. Expected release date August 2008 Pre-order now!