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Top Verdicts & Settlements 2025: Defense wins
Staff Report//February 12, 2026//
NOTE: Defense wins include jury- or judge-tried cases that resulted in a victory for the defense. Also counted are cases in which the plaintiffs’ award was far less than what was sought or was significantly reduced by comparative fault. Cases are listed in chronological order.
| Claimed Damages | Jury Request | Date | Venue | Type of Action | Caption | Defense Attorneys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12,589,600 | $1,500,000 | 1/28/2025 | St. Louis County | Medical Malpractice | Richard Powell v. Missouri Baptist Medical Center | Peter Spataro and Bryce Pfalzgraf, Brown & James, St. Louis; Marliee Clausing, HPS Law, Chicago. |
| $10,400,000 | $0 | 2/26/2025 | St. Louis County | Medical Malpractice | Briana Moore v. Dr. Lisa Nadeau | Greg Minana and Alexis Blood, Greg Minana & Associates, St. Louis |
| $0 | $0 | 3/5/2025 | St. Louis County | Motor Vehicle Collision | Keith Taylor v. B&D Hauling, Inc. | Lawrence Hall and Lisa Guberman, The Chartwell Law Offices, St. Louis |
| $1,000,000 | $0 | 3/5/2025 | Johnson County, KS | Medical Malpractice | Debra Henry v. Brea Overland Park LLC | Matthew Merrill, Elizabeth Moeller and Tyler Waugh, Sandberg Phoenix, Kansas City |
| $127,927 | $0 | 4/1/2025 | Greene County | Motor Vehicle Collision | Lloyd Marshall v. Sherry Powell | Charles H. Cooper, Franke, Schultz & Mullen, Kansas City |
| $0 | $10,500,000 | 4/11/2025 | Jackson County | Wrongful Death | Cherie Russell v. Clymore Trucking | Charles H. Cooper and Michael T. Halloran, Franke, Schultz & Mullen, Kansas City |
| $0 | $0 | 4/11/2025 | St. Louis County | Medical Malpractice | Sunie Lasky v. Orthopedic Associates, LLC | Rodney Sharp and Jillian Van Hoy, Sandberg Phoenix, St. Louis |
| $4,097,146 | $0 | 6/2/2025 | St. Louis City | Medical Malpractice | Benjamin Metz v. The Washington University | Peter Spataro and Matthew Lakamp, Brown & James, St. Louis |
| $0 | $0 | 6/13/2025 | Cole County | Motor Vehicle Collision | Rachael Eickhoff vs. Alyssa Huskey | Michael R. Baker, Ford, Parshall & Baker, Columbia |
| $30,000,000 | $0 | 7/31/2025 | Johnson County, KS | Property Damage | Gary Bowers v. Evergy Missouri West, Inc. | Karrie Clinkinbeard and Pamela Winter, Armstrong Teasdale, Kansas City |
| $1,297,480 | $0 | 8/28/2025 | Grundy County | Breach of Contract | Green Hills Women’s Shelter, Inc. v. Weldon Builders and Construction, LLC | Kristie Crawford, Brown & James, Springfield |
| $0 | $0 | 9/10/2025 | St. Francois County | Medical Malpractice | Albert Beal v. Precision Eye Care, Ltd. | Justin Hardin and Nicolas Espinosa, Brown & James, St. Louis |
| $4,500,000 | $0 | 10/8/2025 | Wyandotte County, KS | Wrongful Death | Wendell Ray Harris v. The University of Kansas Hospital Authority | Chris Logan and Jack Logan, Logan Logan & Watson, Prairie Village, KS; Wesley Smith and Brenna Lynch, Simpson, Logback, Lynch, Norris, Overland Park, KS |
| $8,000,000 | $0 | 10/30/2025 | Grundy County | Medical Malpractice | Rickie L Tunnell v Ronald Keller, DO | John Hicks and Sarah Wood, Norris Keplinger Hicks & Welder, Leawood, KS; Mariam Decker and Ryan Bertels, Schreimann Rackers & Fancka, Jefferson City |
| $800,000 | $0 | 10/31/2025 | St. Louis County | Medical Malpractice | Heather Knight v. Hill Vision Services | Justin Hardin and Kahalah Clay, Brown & James, St. Louis |
| $7,000,000 | $0 | 11/25/2025 | Taney County | Medical Malpractice | Julee Fortner v. Dennis Hughes, D.O. and Travis Bell, P.A. | Scott Bellm and Bethany Parsons; Turner, Reid, Duncan, Loomer & Patton, Springfield; Lawrence Logback and J. Wesley Smith, Simpson Logback Lynch, Norris, Overland Park, KS |
Missouri Lawyers Awards 2026
