Attorney Ken Bigham approached us with a particularly poignant case: a tragic death resulting from a drunk driving crash, presenting a dram shop action, intertwined with an 18-wheeler liability component. The victims were not just clients to him; they were friends, making the outcome of this case deeply personal.
facts of the case
Where & When
Central Texas, 2019.
What happened
A man was overserved by a bar and later died in a crash with an 18-wheeler.
Injuries Suffered
Death
Settlement Amount
The case was resolved to the surviving loved one's satisfaction.
That was a tragic loss. It was a death case and there was also a potential liability component to the case.
I originally referred what was a dram shop – a first-party dram shop case – to them, and it was important to me because these people were friends of mine. That was a tragic loss. It was a death case and there was also a potential liability component to the case – an 18-wheeler not related to the dram shop issue – and Mike and Keith just did a phenomenal job of working that case up and getting a successful outcome for the client. Man, it was just really impressive what they did.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, our team, led by Mike Grossman and Keith Purdue, took on this complex case with the utmost diligence and expertise. Ken noted, "Mike and Keith just did a phenomenal job of working that case up and getting a successful outcome for the client."
Our open communication and responsiveness stood out to Ken. "Whenever I called, I always got a call back," he said, highlighting our commitment to keeping our partners informed and involved.
Any referring lawyer where the other firm is going to be in charge...it's a little bit of a vulnerable feeling
...because these cases take a lot of time and to work the cases correctly, your law firm has to take over the lead in dealing with the clients and the courts. So you lose that regular contact with the client.
Throughout the case, we did our best to maintain an inclusive approach, involving Ken in critical stages due to his unique insights and connections in the area. This collaboration highlighted the benefits and strengths that partnering firms can bring to a case.
They actually let me help them with some things on the case itself too, which I thought that was really, really smart of them
There were two things they did that were really impressive. Number one, whenever I called, I always got a call back and I always, whether I call Keith's cell phone personally or I call the office, I talked to somebody, everybody there was very helpful, very professional, and they took time to get back with me and I really appreciated that. And number two, at some point the litigation, it became of some value for me to get involved in helping them get a trial setting and do some things in the case itself.
Ken was particularly impressed by our strategic handling of the case. From developing a solid theory of the case to skillfully balancing aggression and realism in mediation, our team's approach blended experience and an understanding of the nuances of plaintiff litigation.
You could tell they'd put their work in, he knew the area of the law and he understood the risk-reward of plaintiff litigation
The way Keith handled the case and the way he worked the case and his theory of the case, and he would share his theory of the case with me, you could tell they'd put their work in, he knew the area of the law and he understood the risk reward of plaintiff litigation. I thought both Mike and Keith struck the really right balance between being aggressive and smart and also being realistic about the value of the case and how to approach the mediator and that mediation.
The case concluded successfully, a testament to our team's dedication and skill. This outcome not only brought closure to a sensitive case but also earned Ken's trust to the extent that he has since referred more cases to us.
Ken's experience with Grossman Law Offices was so positive that he didn’t hesitate to refer another complex case to us, even before the first case had been settled. "I told the client, if it was me, I would hire these guys and I would trust them," he stated.
I told the client, if it was me, I would hire these guys and I would trust them.
I've already referred you guys another case. And that case came to me out of West Texas through a friend out there and I told the client, I said, if it was me, this is what I would do: I would hire these guys and I would trust them. And that was before my first case ever settled, so they earned my trust already.
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