Defending Against Nuclear Verdicts: Strategies to Counter Reptile Theory, Litigation Funding, and Juror Bias

This program will examine the rise of so-called “nuclear verdicts” and what civil tort defense attorneys can do to prevent them. The discussion will begin with Todd Lezon, who will address three major drivers of outsized jury awards: the use of Reptile Theory arguments by plaintiffs’ counsel, the impact of third-party litigation funding in prolonging cases and inflating settlements, and the influence of personal injury attorney advertising in shaping juror expectations. David C. Shay will then speak from the perspective of a trial lawyer with more than a decade of prior defense experience. Dave will address the role that social…