As trial lawyers, we have a unique and weighted charge: telling our client’s story. We must effectively communicate the experience of their life to key decision-makers—judges, juries, mediators—who have never met our client before. This is both a responsibility and a privilege, particularly in cases involving wrongful death. Because, in such cases, you have also never met your “client,” the person who has died.
Put plainly, it’s a delicate balancing act—and one that our team at Yarborough Applegate knows well. Attorney Liam Duffy discusses its complexities and important considerations in this month’s issue of American Association for Justice’s Trial magazine.
Drawing on his firsthand trial experience, most recently on a Yarborough Applegate case involving the death of an infant at a South Carolina daycare, Duffy shares insights on where to begin. From spending meaningful, in-person time with family members and friends to better understand the impact of your client’s death to looking beyond photographs and videos to paint a picture of the life lost, Duffy surveys a number of avenues for fellow trial lawyers.
In some cases, Duffy writes, the most compelling narration can involve references from literature, poetry, music, or movies, noting that because they were not created for the courtroom, they tend to resonate and carry credibility. “Look for kernels of truth within them that can help capture your client’s experience and loss,” he suggests.
Find the full piece, “Tips for Conveying Wrongful Death Damages,” in the April 2024 Trial magazine.
Yarborough Applegate is excited to welcome its newest attorney, Liam Duffy. The firm first met Liam when he came to work here in 2015 while studying at the Charleston School of Law. After graduating summa cum laude, Liam went on to work for one of Charleston’s top litigation firms where he represented both plaintiffs and […]
This month, join us as we commemorate some of our team’s incredible accomplishments in both their personal and professional lives.
As we savor the final days of 2021, we wanted to take a moment and revisit some of the year’s defining movements for our team here at Yarborough Applegate, and extend our deepest gratitude to all those who we’ve had the honor of working with along the way.
Yarborough Applegate attorney Liam Duffy continues his thought leadership amongst trial lawyers in his latest published article, “The Golden Rule in Opening Statement and Closing Argument: What It Is and What It Isn’t.”
Duffy revisited several third-party injury and death cases in which he and the Yarborough Applegate team have sought and obtained significant recovery outside of the workers compensation system.
His talk, “Third-Party Premises Liability in Workplace Injuries & Deaths,” addressed handling premises and products liability in workplace injury settings.