Madsen v. Beacon, et al.

Summary

A Utah state court jury has delivered a record $81 million verdict for the family and friends of a child struck and killed by a truck in a crosswalk after an initial trial ended in a defense verdict.

The jury returned its verdict on March 13 in a trial that began on March 2. They found that Rusty Cope, a driver for Allied Building Products, is responsible for the 2018 death of Michael Madsen. Madsens family accused Allied of hiring a dangerously inexperienced driver with a checkered safety record who sped into a crosswalk, however the defense argued Madsen ran in front of the truck.

Blog Posts

Utah Jury Awards Record-Breaking $81M Retrial Verdict For Child’s Crosswalk Death: Watch Gavel-to-Gavel via CVN
Mar 17, 2026

Truck Driver Blamed At Trial For Child’s Crosswalk Death: Watch Gavel-to-Gavel via CVN
Mar 4, 2026

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Madsen, Russ
Defense: Beacon Roofing Supply
Cope, Rusty

Judge: Thomas Low
Jurisdiction: Provo District Court
Court: Provo District Court

Case Number: 190401592
Industry: Automotive, Education
Practice Area: Negligence

Plaintiff

Madsen, Russ

Plaintiff

Represented By:
Logan, Geordan (Claggett & Sykes Law Firm )

Defense

Beacon Roofing Supply

Represented By:
Gordon, Jim (LockGordon Law)
Brown, Bryson (Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C.)

Defense

Cope, Rusty

Represented By:
Shapiro, Ruth (Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. Utah)

Sessions

Attorney
Witness
Witness Expertise
Type
Description

AM Session

Openings

4 Chapters

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:33:24	Opening Statement	Claggett, Sean
01:25:53	Opening Statement	Johnson, Blake
01:38:18	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

17 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

20 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

10 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

6 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

12 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

15 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

15 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

9 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Other

2 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

7 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Closings

6 Chapters

PM Session

Verdict

4 Chapters

MAR

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:17	Opening Statement	Shapiro, Ruth
00:29:49	Opening Statement	Gordon, Jim
00:42:25	Witness Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Zagal, Saul	In Person
00:58:13	Witness Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Zagal, Saul	In Person
00:58:49	Witness Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Zagal, Saul	In Person
01:06:20	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Zagal, Saul	In Person
01:07:21	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Zagal, Saul	In Person
01:14:13	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Zagal, Saul	In Person
01:24:45	General Case Activities		Zagal, Saul	In Person
01:27:29	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Zagal, Saul	In Person
01:30:56	Break
01:55:19	General Case Activities
01:58:06	Witness Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Perez, Salvador	In Person
02:06:45	Witness Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Perez, Salvador	In Person
02:23:15	Witness Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Cope, Rusty	In Person
03:18:40	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Witness Expertise	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:05	Witness Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Cope, Rusty		In Person
00:45:46	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Cope, Rusty		In Person
00:57:30	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Cope, Rusty		In Person
01:02:25	General Case Activities		Cope, Rusty		In Person
01:06:14	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Cope, Rusty		In Person
01:08:08	Witness Direct Examination	Logan, Geordan	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
01:28:52	Break
01:53:54	Witness Direct Examination	Logan, Geordan	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
02:45:17	Witness Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
02:49:16	Witness Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
03:24:10	Witness Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
03:27:15	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Logan, Geordan	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
03:36:21	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
03:40:02	General Case Activities		Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
03:43:03	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
03:43:30	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
03:43:50	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
03:44:30	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Logan, Geordan	Pryzybyla, Dr. Jay	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
03:45:45	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:50	Witness Direct Examination	Wise, Shannon	Christiansen, John	In Person
00:17:59	Witness Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Christiansen, John	In Person
00:41:05	Witness Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Christiansen, John	In Person
00:44:19	Break
01:07:51	Witness Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Perez, Mario	In Person
01:18:15	Witness Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Perez, Mario	In Person
01:25:12	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Perez, Mario	In Person
01:28:43	Witness Direct Examination		Haymore, Shaun	In Person
02:21:25	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:20	Witness Direct Examination		Haymore, Shaun	In Person
01:03:31	Witness Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Haymore, Shaun	In Person
01:07:02	Witness Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Haymore, Shaun	In Person
01:38:00	Witness Re-Direct Examination		Haymore, Shaun	In Person
01:45:06	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Haymore, Shaun	In Person
01:54:12	General Case Activities		Haymore, Shaun	In Person
02:19:38	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:31	Witness Direct Examination		Hoffman, Mary Ellen	Video Recording
00:46:06	Break
01:11:04	Witness Direct Examination	Logan, Geordan	Grill, Lou	Video Conference
02:32:16	Witness Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Grill, Lou	In Person
03:10:24	End of Session

Madsen v. Beacon, et al.

Summary

Blog Posts

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:41	Witness Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Cope, Rusty	In Person
01:10:02	Break
01:41:34	General Case Activities
01:42:18	Witness Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Cope, Rusty	In Person
02:02:32	Witness Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Cope, Rusty	In Person
02:05:54	Witness Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Cope, Rusty	In Person
02:41:13	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:15	Witness Cross Examination	Logan, Geordan	Grill, Lou	In Person
00:11:32	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Logan, Geordan	Grill, Lou	In Person
00:20:19	General Case Activities
00:25:43	Witness Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Belliston, Nancy	In Person
01:21:29	Break
01:43:11	General Case Activities
01:44:17	Witness Cross Examination	Brown, Bryson	Belliston, Nancy	In Person
02:16:29	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Belliston, Nancy	In Person
02:20:55	Witness Direct Examination	Wise, Shannon	Stillman, Mason	In Person
02:44:09	Witness Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Stillman, Mason	In Person
02:45:38	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:57	Witness Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Baker, Mike	In Person
00:26:16	Witness Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Baker, Mike	In Person
00:43:15	Witness Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Baker, Mike	In Person
00:51:46	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Baker, Mike	In Person
01:00:01	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Baker, Mike	In Person
01:02:53	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Baker, Mike	In Person
01:08:44	General Case Activities		Baker, Mike	In Person
01:16:57	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Baker, Mike	In Person
01:20:28	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Baker, Mike	In Person
01:22:23	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Baker, Mike	In Person
01:24:23	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Baker, Mike	In Person
01:25:13	Break
01:46:32	Witness Direct Examination		Shamblin, Alan	Video Recording
03:22:21	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:51	Witness Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Wall, Hunter	In Person
00:12:45	Witness Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Wall, Hunter	In Person
00:13:40	Witness Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Wall, Hunter	In Person
00:14:21	Witness Cross Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Wall, Hunter	In Person
00:22:23	Witness Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Winters, Steve	In Person
00:45:33	General Case Activities		Winters, Steve	In Person
00:46:33	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Winters, Steve	In Person
00:50:03	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Winters, Steve	In Person
00:51:57	Witness Direct Examination		Bowers, Matt	Video Recording
01:26:43	Break
01:48:16	Witness Direct Examination	Johnson, Blake	Bowers, Sophia	In Person
02:05:25	Witness Direct Examination	Claggett, Sean	Madsen, Russel	In Person
02:59:34	General Case Activities		Madsen, Russel	In Person
03:04:31	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Witness Expertise	Presence
00:29:25	General Case Activities
00:30:17	Witness Direct Examination	Wise, Shannon	Madsen, Mandy		In Person
01:30:48	Witness Cross Examination	Gordon, Jim	Madsen, Mandy		In Person
01:32:55	General Case Activities		Madsen, Mandy		In Person
01:34:52	Break
02:42:50	Witness Direct Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Nordhagen, Ronald	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
04:01:10	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Witness Expertise	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:28	Witness Cross Examination	Claggett, Sean	Nordhagen, Ronald	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
01:03:17	Witness Cross Examination	Johnson, Blake	Nordhagen, Ronald	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
01:04:17	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Shapiro, Ruth	Nordhagen, Ronald	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
01:11:16	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Claggett, Sean	Nordhagen, Ronald	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
01:12:36	Break
01:52:31	General Case Activities		Nordhagen, Ronald	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
02:08:34	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gordon, Jim	Nordhagen, Ronald	Accident Reconstruction	In Person
02:12:27	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:16	Closing Statement	Claggett, Sean
01:24:16	Closing Statement	Johnson, Blake
01:50:26	Break
02:06:25	Closing Statement	Shapiro, Ruth
02:55:31	Closing Statement	Gordon, Jim
03:40:31	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Witness Expertise	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:01:10	Reading of the Verdict
		00:03:47	General Case Activities
		00:11:22	End of Session