October 10, 2025

FARMINGTON HILLS – Senior Partner Michael Watt, alongside attorneys Brian Frasier and Erin Katz, successfully defended a client in a complex negligence case. The final jury award of $75,000 represents a 95% reduction from the Plaintiff's $1.5 million demand at trial.

Overview of the Case

The case involved a disputed negligence claim arising from a car collision, in which the plaintiff alleged sustaining a back injury, necessitating a left hemilaminectomy and discectomy at L5-S1. The defense faced challenging facts, including the unfortunate circumstance that the defendant was driving on a suspended license, which was allowed into evidence. The plaintiff's counsel attempted to establish a clear link between the accident and the subsequent surgery, citing that the plaintiff had no back treatment for five years prior to the incident.

Key Difference-Makers

• Michael Watt – Senior Partner, Farmington Hills Hub
• Brian Frasier – Associate, Farmington Hills Hub
• Erin Katz – Associate, Farmington Hills Hub

Administrative Support

• Lisa Howard – Paralegal
• Kimberly Ramsay – Legal Assistant

Claims Made Against Our Client

Plaintiff's counsel alleged that our client acted negligently, that this negligence was the proximate cause of the injury, and that the resulting injury satisfied the threshold requirement of a serious impairment of body function. The Plaintiff sought $500,000 in past non-economic damages and $1 million in future non-economic damages. Throughout the proceedings, the defendant's credibility was impeached regarding the status of his license.

Defense Strategy

The defense team adopted a strategy built on responsibility, accountability, and reasonableness, designed to navigate the modern trial environment where juries often prioritize injury compensation over liability disputes. This involved making strategic concessions, such as acknowledging that the Plaintiff was injured and that the surgery may have been necessary, effectively eliminating the risk of a high-anger verdict. QPWB attorneys heavily emphasized the Plaintiff's excellent outcome after surgery. Furthermore, we leveraged that the Plaintiff likewise demonstrated significant credibility issues, likely contributing to the causation of the accident. 

By consistently being the most reasonable voice in the room, the defense successfully guided the jury away from the demanded $1.5 million figure toward a compensation amount deemed reasonable, securing a highly favorable reduction.

Impact on Final Outcome

The strategic decision to use a post-truth defense, focusing heavily on anchoring and reasonableness rather than solely on a no-cause verdict, proved decisive. The jury determined the plaintiff was injured and entitled to compensation, but the defense's low-damage anchor limited that compensation to just $75,000.

Unique Aspect of this Case

The most unique aspect of this case was the jury’s willingness to look past the plaintiff’s own credibility problems, having been caught in several contradictions, to focus solely on injury and perceived entitlement to compensation.

Predicting the Future

This victory reinforces our commitment to an aggressive defense and showcases our innovative litigation strategy, which adapts to changing jury trends to achieve the most cost-effective resolutions for clients. It demonstrates that by relying on performance-driven litigation, we will try any case, any time the client wants us to, securing our reputation as a firm that consistently achieves favorable outcomes in complex negligence defense.

Key Actions in This Case

• Strategic Concession: Admitted injury and necessity of surgery to establish credibility and mitigate high-exposure risk
• Damages Anchoring: Focused advocacy on defining "reasonable compensation" and limiting the jury's scope of award
• Comparative Negligence Focus: Successfully used the Plaintiff's responsibility to reduce the final award amount
• Post-Truth Strategy: Adapted the defense to current jury trends by prioritizing damage reduction over seeking an outright no-cause verdict

About QPWB

Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. is one of the fastest growing law firms in the United States providing a different focus on what it means to provide responsive service to clients and team members. With a national presence of 54 offices and a comprehensive scope of over 130 practice areas, QPWB delivers legal representation in litigation, regulatory, and corporate matters to a diverse range of industries. This scope and rapid expansion has attracted unique legal talent from all different backgrounds and experiences which has made them the largest minority-owned law firm in the country.