Featured Audio Opinion
Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz
Fairfax County
Brief Fact Summary
Defendant established a Burger King franchise and then failed to pay rent.
Rule of Law and Holding
A defendant is subject to suit in a forum if the defendant purposefully avails himself of that forum.
Topics
Personal Jurisdiction
Featured Video
Scheer v. Ford Motor Co.
Trial in Las Vegas, Nevada
Description
Plaintiff, Patricia Sheer brought this defective automobile seat products liability claim after her 1999 Mercury Mountaineer was rear-ended while she was stopped at a red light. The force of the rear-end collision allegedly collapsed Scheer’s seat, sending her backwards. Scheer was then suddenly thrust forward when her vehicle struck the GMC Yukon in front of her. The plaintiff sought to recover $10M, plus over $400,000 in medical expenses.
Ford claimed that the blame had to be assigned to the driver who struck Scheer’s vehicle.
Practice Area
Products Liability
Industry
Automotive
Featured VTL Clip
URI v. RAM
Clip Analysis
Here the attorney uses the exact words from deposition in his questioning. Then when the witness has a hard time recalling the facts, counsel challenges him to change his testimony from his deposition. Using the video here makes the witness visually compete with himself before the jury. This is a very effective way to impeach a witness. Through the use of clean, concise and exact wording the witness is left with no wiggle room.
Stage of Trial
Cross Examination
Trial Advocacy Skill
Impeachment – Prior Inconsistent Statement