Hamilton Wingo, LLP’s 2016 $19.7 million verdict was recently named the number two highest-ranking medical malpractice verdict from 2015 to 2019 by Texas Lawyer, in conjunction with VerdictSearch, and included in the publications’ Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame.

 

The 2016 verdict was in a medical malpractice dispute against a local doctor on behalf of the family of Katina Clark, who spent more than a year in a permanent vegetative state before her death following brain damage she sustained as a patient at the same hospital where she worked as a surgical technician.

 

“This is a great honor and speaks to the success we’ve achieved for our clients as a firm,” said Chris Hamilton, owner and partner of Hamilton Wingo, LLP. “I am humbled to be on such an elite list and in such good company.”

 

The verdict handed to Judge Sally Montgomery of Dallas County Court No. 3 followed slightly more than two weeks of trial and less than three hours of deliberations. The jury’s entire $19.7 million award for actual damages was issued against Dr. Jennifer Marye Burris and her employer, Acute Surgical Care Specialists PLLC of Plano.

 

“The key to our success was the simple framing of the case,” said Hamilton. “Defense lawyers try to make medical malpractice cases very complex. We made the case very simple: A doctor is never allowed to ignore or abandon a patient in potential danger.”

 

The 2020 publication focused on six categories: Admiralty/Maritime, Fraud/Professional Negligence, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability, Securities, and Wrongful Death. The cases chosen reflect the highest-grossing verdicts between 2015 and 2019, as reported by VerdictSearch, with a minimum award of $10 million.

 

“We are thankful to the jury and the court for their hard work in this case, which ended with the right result,” said Hamilton. “No amount of money will bring back Katina, and she should never have died. We hope this verdict will cause other health care professionals to take better care of their patients.”

 

Hamilton’s courtroom prowess has earned him numerous distinctions, including Best Lawyers in America, D Magazine’s Best Lawyers, Texas Super Lawyers, the American Association for Justice’s Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, and admission into the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Top Verdict annual lists have repeatedly recognized Hamilton’s jury verdicts as among the largest in Texas and the United States, and he was recently featured in Courtroom View Network’s (CVN) list of Most Impressive Trials of 2019.

 

About Hamilton Wingo, LLP

Hamilton Wingo, LLP, is a plaintiff’s trial firm based in Dallas, Texas. The trial lawyers specialize in representing people and companies in high-stakes, complex litigation on a contingency fee basis. They have obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for their clients. For more information, visit hamiltonwingo.com/contact.