Most Big Box Verdict: Walmart Loses Appeal of $17M Verdict for Trampled Woman
The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld an approximately $17 million verdict won by a woman injured last year during a shoplifting incident at Walmart, according to an article from WCHS, an ABC affiliate. Diane Ankrom, who had her granddaughter with her, was trampled by a suspected thief who was running from store employees. Ankrom required more than 20 hospital visits as a result of the ordeal.
Most Delivered Verdict: Penn. Woman Facing Decades in Prison for Delivering Drugs to Overdose Victim
A Pennsylvania jury found Lisa Schmidt guilty of three felonies after she delivered drugs to a woman who eventually died of overdose, according to an article from the River Reporter. As a result of the verdict, Schmidt faces up to 40 years prison time. Two other individuals were arrested, charged and pleaded guilty in connection with the incident, notes the article.
Most Transported Verdict: Former FedEx Driver Wins $6.85M in ADA Lawsuit
A former FedEx Freight driver won a $6.85 million verdict against the shipping giant after a jury found his rights were violated under the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to an article from Freight Waves. The dispute arose after David Goldstine was terminated following a disagreement about his inability to secure a damaged trailer door due to unsafe weather conditions and his “rebuilt” knee. FedEx is considering an appeal of the decision.
Most Drawn Out Verdict: Mass. Man Finally Heading to Prison After 17 Years of Post-conviction Motions
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court said the first degree murder conviction of Shane Moffat will stand, according to an article from WWLP.com. Moffat was convicted of killing Malcolm Howard in 1999 but saw his subsequent appeal stayed a number of times as he pursued post-conviction motions. After a 17-year effort to overturn the ruling proved unsuccessful, Moffat was sentenced to life.
Most Technological Verdict: Apple Ordered to Pay $503M in Latest Salve with VirnetX
Apple is on the hook for $503 million after being ruled to have infringed upon VirnetX patents, according to an article from Law Street. To that end, a jury in the Eastern District of Texas concluded the tech giant owes VirnetX $0.84 on each of 598,629,580 devices with respect to iMessage and FaceTime features. The litigation dates back a decade and spans a number of lawsuits and appeals. “VirnetX sued Apple for patent infringement claiming that Apple infringed via a VPN On Demand feature, which Apple used to allow its users access to a VPN connection,” according to the article.