$827,688 Jury Verdict
On February 27, 2014, I.S. Law Firm secured a jury verdict of $827,688 for a client in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, after a four-day trial.
Montgomery County is known for relatively conservative juries, so our victory was all the more difficult. We are pleased with this verdict for our client’s sake and proud of our attorneys’ outstanding performance.
The Feb. 27 jury verdict included $400,000 in non-economic damages such as mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation, and $371,400 in punitive damages, which are designed to punish the wrongdoer and deter others from committing similar acts. The remaining $56,288 was for economic damages.
The lead attorney in this case, Ismail T. Shahtakhtinski, Esq., successfully demonstrated to the jury that the plaintiff suffered not only economic damages, which include future medical expenses and can be easily measured in dollars, but also mental anguish, pain and suffering, which warranted substantial compensation for non-economic damages.
He also showed to the jury’s satisfaction that the defendant’s actions were so willful and malicious that the jury should award a substantial amount of punitive damages.
In preparing for this trial, our attorneys collected and analyzed multiple pieces of crucial evidence, subpoenaed and interviewed witnesses, and retained and used litigation support specialists and medical experts.
Before the verdict, our attorneys also secured a pre-judgment lien on the defendant’s million-dollar property, enabling our client to collect and enforce this judgment.
When we file lawsuits for our clients, we always start by searching for ways to get pre-judgment liens and/or injunctions to protect our clients’ interests and ensure that our clients can collect on their future judgments. Then we dedicate all our resources to zealously present our client’s case and obtain the best possible verdict for the client.
In this case, our attorneys also got a court order reversing and setting aside a fraudulent conveyance, which was something the defendant did to try to prevent the lien.
The Maryland Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act enables a creditor to ask for a declaratory judgment to set aside a conveyance of an asset that was made without sufficient consideration for the purposes of hiding assets from creditors. That means the act gives creditors a remedy when debtors try to hide or transfer assets that would otherwise be available to satisfy legitimate debts.
Not only did the court set aside the conveyance, but it did so in the form of a directed verdict. A directed verdict is essentially a court’s way of taking away an issue from the jury, saying that the evidence presented in the case is so clear that there can be no reasonable jury finding otherwise.
Then attorney Ismail Shahtakhtinski summarized the witnesses’ evidence and testimony for the jury and compellingly explained the extent of damages our client suffered. The result was that the jury was convinced our client deserved substantial compensation for mental anguish, pain and suffering, plus an award for punitive damages.
Attorneys at I.S. Law Firm pay individual attention to each and every client. We are aggressive in protecting our clients’ interests and serve their needs to the maximum extent possible.
PLEASE NOTE THAT CASE RESULTS DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. CASE RESULTS DESCRIBED BELOW DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE UNDERTAKEN BY I.S. LAW FIRM, PLLC (LAW OFFICES OF ISMAIL T. SHAHTAKHTINSKI, ESQ.)
If you or anyone you know suffered damages because of someone’s negligence or intentional acts, please contact our experienced attorneys for a free case evaluation at +1-703-527-1779.
