The Gjording Fouser team attended the Idaho Association of Defense Counsel’s (IADC) annual meeting where Jill Cranston Rice, a partner at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP in West Virginia, gave a presentation titled “Not Just Monopoly Money: Combating Nuclear Jury Verdicts.” Below is a summary of Ms. Cranston Rice’s presentation. WHAT IS A “NUCLEAR VERDICT?” Nuclear...
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This appeal arose from a legal malpractice case brought by Plaintiff Holly Rich. An important issue addressed by the Idaho Supreme Court was whether the district court erred in declining to consider Rich’s supplemental expert witness disclosure. Under Idaho Rule of Civil Procedure 26(e)(2), parties are not permitted to diverge from intended testimony in the...
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As our team discussed in a prior blog post, public records requests are a fantastic tool to include in an attorney’s arsenal for obtaining discovery. (See Public Records Requests: The Underutilized Discovery Tactic – Gjording Fouser (gfidaholaw.com)). Another discovery tool Idaho attorneys should utilize is the Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) search function. Sometimes a public...
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The issue of causation seems like it should be easy: in every negligence case, the plaintiff must prove, “a causal connection between the defendant’s conduct and the resulting injury.”[1] Sometimes expert testimony may be required[2], but even then, the concept of connecting the defendant’s actions with the resulting damages seems like a simple proposition. However...
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Every July 1, the non-economic damages cap is adjusted to account for inflation and the average annual wage. As expected, we saw another large increase, 6.5%, from $430,740.03 in 2022 to $458,728.65 in 2023. Idaho Statute Section 6-1603 is silent on the date/event (time of injury, time of complaint, time of verdict) that attaches to...
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There are many statutes that deal with attorney fees in cases involving governmental entities. Three examples include Idaho Code § 12-117, which awards attorney fees in any case involving, “as adverse parties a state agency or a political subdivision and a person,” I.C. § 6-918A, which provides for attorney fees in tort claims act cases,...
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Attorneys have many methods of obtaining discovery in their arsenals. However, it appears that one obvious method is underutilized in the legal community: public records requests (PRRs). PRRs have many benefits and used correctly, can provide useful records to support the defense in certain cases. WHAT IS A PRR? A PRR is a request made...
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May 16, 2023 Justice John Stegner, who has been on the Idaho Supreme Court since 2018, announced that he will be retiring from the bench on October 31, 2023. In his letter to Idaho Governor Brad Little, Justice Stegner called retirement a “bittersweet decision” and cited the disparity in pay between judges and attorneys in...
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April 25, 2023 Insurance companies may often feel incentivized to seek early settlement with a person who has suffered a personal injury. However, in Idaho, there is a potential risk that insurers should be aware of before doing so. Under Idaho Code § 29-113, a person who enters into an agreement within 15 days after...
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March 21, 2023 Idaho Code § 41-1839 is a terrifying statute. Under that statute, any insurer who fails to pay someone amounts owed within 30 days after a proof of loss has been furnished (or within 60 days if the policy is for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage) must pay attorney fees. This language seems...
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February 28, 2023 Few options for interlocutory review of trial court decisions exist in Idaho, and the options that are available are difficult to obtain. As a result, litigators are often stuck with non-final rulings from the trial court until an appeal as a matter of right is available. Of course, there are many good...
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January 26, 2023 In the most recent edition of Voir Dire, Erica Boyce, a researcher for The National Center for State Courts reviewed the empirical research conducted on jury size during the past 20 years. This research was prompted by the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in the wake of the pandemic’s effects on...
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