The Legal Examiner Affiliate Network The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner search instagram avvo phone envelope checkmark mail-reply spinner error close The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner The Legal Examiner
Skip to main content

Tom Metier just secured the largest personal injury verdict in Colorado’s history after completing a two-week trial in Denver District Court. With the help of co-counsel Jim Gilbert, Tom’s partner Phil Chupik, and attorneys Tony Bolson and Anne Dieruf, Tom secured a $52,000,000 verdict for his client.

The case involved a negligence claim against an at-fault driver, and a product liability claim against a seatbelt manufacturer. Tom and co-counsel Jim Gilbert represented a married mother of four young children who suffered a spinal cord injury at C6-7 and a cervical injury during a car accident.

In 2013, the woman was riding in a 1994 Honda Civic southbound on I-25 when another driver attempting a U-turn drove across the median and struck her car. The collision caused the woman’s vehicle to rollover multiple times. Due to the nature of her injuries, she lost the use of her legs and retained only limited use of her hands.

Tom argued his client’s case before a jury of mostly single millennials. Except for one juror, all were 20 to 29 years old, unmarried, and without children. There were significant lifestyle differences between the jurors and Tom’s client. Despite these differences, Tom received the exact amount in damages he asked for in his closing argument.

Tom is well known for understanding the psychology of jurors. In fact, Law Week Colorado wrote an extensive article on Tom’s approach to understanding how jurors of different backgrounds and age groups acquire information.

His client was awarded $5,000,000 in non-economic damages, $15,000,000 in economic damages, $30,000,000 for permanent impairment and disfigurement, and $2,000,000 for her husband’s loss of consortium.

This is a significant victory for Tom’s client, and everyone at the Metier Law Firm, but all the accolades and awards count for very little considering the permanent damage these negligent acts have inflicted on a strong woman, mother and wife.

Comments for this article are closed.