Top Ten Jury Verdicts for 2008

California Scheming Nets $388 M
In the state's largest verdict to an individual, a Nevada jury has awarded $388 million to a 70-year-old inventor who claims he was hounded by California tax authorities for the past 15 years.

Texas Businessman Wins $316 Million
An Atlanta jury has ordered Turner Broadcasting System to pay $316 million to a Houston businessman who claimed that the media giant reneged on a deal to sell him the NBA Hawks and NHL Thrashers.

Mexican Businessman Wins $188 Defamation Suit
In what is believed to be the largest defamation verdict in our nation's history, a New York City jury awarded $188 million to a Mexican contractor who claims the words of an American businessman severely damaged his reputation.

$85 Million for Fall Into Manhole
In the largest premises liability verdict in Pennsylvania history, a 30-year-old former University of Pennsylvania medical school student who fell 20 feet into an uncovered manhole was awarded $85 million in compensatory damages.

U-Haul Rollover Victim Wins $84 Million
A jury returned an $84 million verdict, including $63 million in punitive damages, in favor of a 74-year-old man who was seriously injured after a parked U-Haul truck he rented rolled over him.

Shell Oil to Pay $66 Million to Royalty Owners
It took nearly four decades, but an Oklahoma jury ordered Shell Oil Co. to pay $66 million to five royalty owners (several of them deceased) for their share of a lucrative oil well dug in the early-1970s.

Nevada Man Wins $60M in Bad Faith Retrial
In a retrial that ended up increasing the punitive damages six-fold, a Nevada jury awarded $60 million to a man who claimed his disability insurance payments were unfairly terminated while he was suffering from Lyme disease.

$55M for Marine Families in Helicopter Case
A California jury awarded $55 million to the families of four Marines killed in 2004 when the helicopter in which they were flying collided with a utility tower.


$54 Million for Fatal Tractor-Trailer Crash
A jury in Georgia found a trucking company liable for $54.4 million, including $44 million in punitive damages, for the death of a passenger killed when a tractor-trailer rear-ended the car in which she was riding.


Paralyzed Steel Mill Worker Wins $48 Million
A steelworker who was paralyzed from the waist down after falling from a ladder was awarded $48 million by an Indiana jury.