Walden v. Chrysler Group LLC

Summary

Jury trial in a wrongful death/product liability suit filed by the family of a child who died in a fire after the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee he was riding in was struck from behind, allegedly causing the fuel tank to rupture.

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Outcome

Verdict Reached For Plaintiff As Follows:
Pain And Suffering-
$30,000,000.00
Full Value Of The Life Of Remmington Walden
$120,000,000.00
Percentage Of Fault -
1% Bryan Harrell
99% Chrysler Group LLC

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Jan 14, 2016

Georgia Supreme Court Upholds $40M Award Against Chrysler in Fuel Tank Explosion Case, While Applying Key Admissibility Test Under State's Evidence Code
Apr 5, 2018

|WATCH| Trial Consultant Explains How Jeb Butler's Closing on the Value of Life Helped Win a Blockbuster Verdict
Jan 4, 2024

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Walden, James
Defense: Chrysler Group LLC
Harrell, Bryan
Verdict: $150,000,000

Judge: J. Chason
Jurisdiction: Decatur County
Court: Superior Court of Georgia, Decatur County

Case Number: 12CV472
Industry: Automotive
Practice Area: Products Liability

Plaintiff

Walden, James

Represented By:
Butler, James (Butler Wooten & Peak LLP)
Butler, Jeb (Butler Tobin, LLC)
Floyd, George (Floyd & Kendrick, LLC)

Defense

Chrysler Group LLC

Defense

Harrell, Bryan

Represented By:
Bicknese, Karsten (Seacrest, Karesh, Tate & Bicknese, LLP)

Sessions

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

AM Session

Openings

3 Chapters

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:11:55	Opening Statement	Butler, James
01:21:12	End of Session

PM Session

Openings

7 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, James	Marchionne, Sergio	Video Recording
00:34:33	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, James	Teets, Michael	Video Recording
01:38:19	Break
01:59:10	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, James	Cousino, Philip	Video Recording
02:59:28	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

25 Chapters

MAR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

13 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Buchner, G. Bryant	In Person
01:20:35	Break
01:43:34	Witness Cross Examination	Brantley, Terry	Buchner, G. Bryant	In Person
02:07:23	Witness Cross Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Buchner, G. Bryant	In Person
02:10:31	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Buchner, G. Bryant	In Person
02:18:45	Break
02:26:49	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Adler, Christine	Video Recording
02:46:24	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Hensel, Lt. Jeffery	Video Recording
02:59:42	End of Session

MAR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

4 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, James	Arndt, Frederick	In Person
01:19:43	Break
01:41:40	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, James	Arndt, Frederick	In Person
02:42:16	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

12 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, James	Arndt, Frederick	In Person
00:20:20	Witness Cross Examination	Owens, M. Diane	Arndt, Frederick	In Person
01:22:10	Witness Cross Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Arndt, Frederick	In Person
01:24:35	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, James	Arndt, Frederick	In Person
01:26:55	Break
01:55:40	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, James	Arndt, Frederick	In Person
02:23:24	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Owens, M. Diane	Arndt, Frederick	In Person
02:26:30	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, James	Arndt, Frederick	In Person
02:31:12	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Friend, Lauren	Video Recording
02:54:25	Break
03:29:55	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Friend, Norma	Video Recording
03:40:22	End of Session

MAR

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

16 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Bell, Brian	Kam, Allan	In Person
00:37:05	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Kam, Allan	In Person
00:56:30	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Bell, Brian	Kam, Allan	In Person
01:00:45	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Kam, Allan	In Person
01:03:55	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Eakin, Kristie	In Person
01:16:36	Witness Cross Examination	Kirbo, Bruce	Eakin, Kristie	In Person
01:17:43	Break
01:44:20	Witness Direct Examination	Floyd, George	Inlow, Amanda	In Person
01:51:33	Witness Cross Examination	Kirbo, Bruce	Inlow, Amanda	In Person
01:53:45	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Stegall, Donna	In Person
02:01:33	Witness Cross Examination	Kirbo, Bruce	Stegall, Donna	In Person
02:02:20	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, James	Walden, James	In Person
02:20:17	Witness Cross Examination	Owens, M. Diane	Walden, James	In Person
02:21:35	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, James	Strickland, Lindsay	In Person
02:30:25	General Case Activities
02:32:58	End of Session

MAR

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

7 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Kirbo, Bruce	Kelly, Al	In Person
00:31:55	Witness Direct Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Kelly, Al	In Person
00:34:40	Witness Cross Examination	Butler, Jeb	Kelly, Al	In Person
00:46:18	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Kirbo, Bruce	Kelly, Al	In Person
00:53:03	Break
01:07:55	Witness Direct Examination	Brantley, Terry	Fenton, Stephen P.E.	In Person
02:45:43	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

9 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Fenton, Stephen P.E.	In Person
00:18:33	Witness Cross Examination	Butler, Jeb	Fenton, Stephen P.E.	In Person
01:10:40	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Brantley, Terry	Fenton, Stephen P.E.	In Person
01:16:35	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Fenton, Stephen P.E.	In Person
01:19:05	Break
01:39:40	Witness Direct Examination	Bell, Brian	Chernoby, Mark	In Person
02:43:28	Witness Direct Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Chernoby, Mark	In Person
02:44:06	Witness Cross Examination	Butler, James	Chernoby, Mark	In Person
03:57:40	End of Session

MAR

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Butler, James	Chernoby, Mark	In Person
00:37:55	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Bell, Brian	Chernoby, Mark	In Person
00:42:20	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Butler, James	Chernoby, Mark	In Person
00:45:13	Break
00:50:51	Witness Direct Examination	Bell, Brian	Olson, Jon P.E.	In Person
01:47:57	Break
02:03:00	Witness Direct Examination	Bell, Brian	Olson, Jon P.E.	In Person
02:55:01	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Bell, Brian	Olson, Jon P.E.	In Person
00:20:25	Witness Direct Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Olson, Jon P.E.	In Person
00:26:35	Witness Cross Examination	Butler, James	Olson, Jon P.E.	In Person
01:31:27	Break
02:23:15	General Case Activities
02:24:30	Witness Direct Examination	Brantley, Terry	McQuaid, Andy	Video Recording
03:04:00	General Case Activities
03:06:31	End of Session

APR

AM Session

Closings

6 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

7 Chapters

PM Session

Verdict

3 Chapters

APR

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

Walden v. Chrysler Group LLC

Summary

Outcome

Sessions

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:05:14	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Butler, Jerry	In Person
00:12:55	Witness Cross Examination	Kirbo, Bruce	Butler, Jerry	In Person
00:23:45	Witness Cross Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Butler, Jerry	In Person
00:24:30	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Butler, Jerry	In Person
00:28:45	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Kirbo, Bruce	Butler, Jerry	In Person
00:30:45	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Butler, Jerry	In Person
00:32:05	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Brown, Kizzie	In Person
00:43:55	Witness Cross Examination	Brantley, Terry	Brown, Kizzie	In Person
00:53:25	Witness Cross Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Brown, Kizzie	In Person
00:55:00	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Palmer, Brian	In Person
01:08:55	Witness Cross Examination	Brantley, Terry	Palmer, Brian	In Person
01:12:09	Witness Cross Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Palmer, Brian	In Person
01:13:00	Break
01:38:50	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	King, Kenneth	In Person
01:55:40	Witness Cross Examination	Brantley, Terry	King, Kenneth	In Person
02:00:10	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	King, Kenneth	In Person
02:03:40	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, James	Harrell, Bryan	In Person
02:21:45	Witness Cross Examination	Brantley, Terry	Harrell, Bryan	In Person
02:44:35	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, James	Harrell, Bryan	In Person
02:53:25	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Brantley, Terry	Harrell, Bryan	In Person
02:59:40	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, James	Harrell, Bryan	In Person
03:03:33	Break
03:13:10	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Persinger, Howard	Video Recording
03:29:38	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:35	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Kujawa, Frank	Video Recording
00:33:50	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Champion, Leigh	Video Recording
00:57:08	Break
01:16:10	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Gaffney-Kraft, Dr. Maryanne D.O.	In Person
02:12:41	Break
02:18:30	Witness Cross Examination	Bell, Brian	Gaffney-Kraft, Dr. Maryanne D.O.	In Person
02:53:05	Witness Cross Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Gaffney-Kraft, Dr. Maryanne D.O.	In Person
02:55:44	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Gaffney-Kraft, Dr. Maryanne D.O.	In Person
03:03:10	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Bell, Brian	Gaffney-Kraft, Dr. Maryanne D.O.	In Person
03:08:05	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Bicknese, Karsten	Gaffney-Kraft, Dr. Maryanne D.O.	In Person
03:09:10	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Gaffney-Kraft, Dr. Maryanne D.O.	In Person
03:12:33	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:02:12	Witness Direct Examination	Butler, Jeb	Kam, Allan	In Person
01:08:13	Break
01:37:12	Witness Cross Examination	Bell, Brian	Kam, Allan	In Person
02:51:52	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	Closing Statement	Butler, Jeb
00:27:55	Closing Statement	Bell, Brian
01:23:05	Break
01:46:10	Closing Statement	Kirbo, Bruce
02:41:35	Closing Statement	Bicknese, Karsten
03:08:10	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	Reading of the Verdict
		00:05:35	General Case Activities
		00:06:46	End of Session