Rules of the Road: A Plaintiff Lawyer's Guide to Proving Liability [Hardcover]

Rick Friedman (Author), Patrick Malone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2007

Rick Friedman has been called the insurance industries' worst nightmare. His successful career has been distinguished by multi-million dollar verdicts and precedent-setting case law. Among many of his landmark cases are the $152 million awarded to a State Farm agent in Bellott v. State Farm, $84 million awarded to a disabled doctor in Ceimo v. Paul Revere, and $16.5 million awarded to a disabled worker in Ace v. Aetna Life Insurance Company. His verdicts to date total over $300 million. Friedman is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group that limits its membership to 100 of the leading trial lawyers in the country. Patrick Malone is one of the leading attorneys in the eastern United States who represents victims of serious personal injuries against drug manufacturers, hospitals, and others in the medical industry. He frequently teaches lawyer groups about cutting edge techniques in trial advocacy. His verdict in Benedi v. McNeil PPC remains one of the largest collected judgments against a pharmaceutical company. Malone was an award-winning investigative journalist before attending Yale Law School. Like Rick Friedman, he is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Now, they share their secrets of proving liability in serious plaintiff's cases of all kinds. Friedman and Malone help you consider your theme and strategy for trial using their "Rules of the Road" technique, and then take you from the pleading through discovery and trial.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 316 pages
• Publisher: Trial Guides; 1St Edition edition (2007)
• ISBN-10: 0974324868
• ISBN-13: 978-0974324869
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #909,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars more essential than David Ball on Damages !, March 24, 2006

By 

Trial Lawyer (Boulder Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rules of the Road: A Plaintiff Lawyer's Guide to Proving Liability (Hardcover)

Over the last 5 years I only battle against lawyers paid by the big business insurance industry. My practice is insurance breach of contract law and auto. I hold myself out as a trial lawyer because I do not accept the crap offers from the claims assessment software that every insurer uses to evaluate human life. To that end, in order to do right by your clients you must challenge the insurers of your clients or the people who harm your clients (we can not sue the insurer of the negligent driver directly) And you must be armed with proven techniques that work. That is what this book is, one of those books you tab, highlight, copy, reuse, a reference tool. This book is a must, an absolute must for anyone dealing with insurers in any capacity. It is chocked full of useful, practicable information that you can use right away. It teaches you how to teach a jury on what 'reasonable' means when they delay and deny meritorious claims. If you are a mill and settle every case without filing, accepting the low ball offers, not doing right by your client, etc., then just keep doing what you've always done and you'll get what you always gotten. But if you correct the injustices, fight for what is right, are on the side of society that helps people, not corporations, then you must by this book and use it. I have read all of David Ball's books, attended ATLA juror bias college, conventions, books on closing, jury bias, Jury Works, TLC, NITA, etc. and with all of that I found this book very useful. I refer to it before every deposition, trial, etc. I do not know the authors of the book, (I wish I did) but they are super accomplished trial lawyers. I speak from my heart on a book that will help people who care about people - and that means winning jury trials because that is the only check on our society. Remember what Thomas Jefferson said, "the right to a jury trial is more important that the right to vote." If you practice insurance bad faith law, auto law, or any law where insurance is involved, you must own this book. (...)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Essential, December 16, 2009

By 

Manfrom Nantucket (California, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rules of the Road: A Plaintiff Lawyer's Guide to Proving Liability (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book. It focuses the attorney on the very essentials of his case. These essentials, or rules, must be easy to understand and convey, and must be indisputable. The authors give advice and numerous examples on how to run all aspects of the case - from the complaint to discovery, use of experts and of documents, and trial techniques -using these simple Rules of the Road. This is a great organizing principle, and one I am going to apply immediately to my cases.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genius in its clarity and simplicity, September 28, 2008

By 

Mr. Scott D. Desalvo "Scott D." (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Rules of the Road: A Plaintiff Lawyer's Guide to Proving Liability (Hardcover)

We plaintiff's attorneys can get bogged down in the every day tactics and pitched battles. This book helps you focus on the overall strategy, making your tactics serve the strategy. A must read for any trial attorney.