In this episode of The Dirty Verdict, hosts Kyle Herbert, Peter Taaffe, and Bill Ogden sit down with trial attorney Trey Barton for a wide-ranging conversation about his path from teacher and coach to plaintiff’s lawyer, opening his own firm right as COVID hit, and building a practice largely through attorney referrals.
Trey walks through several recent verdicts, including a wrongful death/DWI case in Fayette County, a workplace foot-crush injury involving medical equipment, a commercial vehicle collision, and a bicycle injury case. Along the way, the group digs into trial strategy, jury selection, high-low agreements, damages arguments, corporate reps, deposition clips, and what makes a client’s story connect with a jury
Topics Discussed
00:00:15 — Introduction to Trey BartonThe hosts welcome Trey Barton to the show and kick things off with jokes about Aggies, Longhorns, Memorial Day, and Trey’s background.
00:02:05 — Growing Up in La Grange, Texas
00:04:39 — From A&M to Teaching and Coaching
00:06:53 — Deciding to Go to Law School
00:08:05 — Discovering Trial WorkAfter clerking for judges and seeing trials firsthand, Trey realized he wanted to become a trial lawyer instead of pursuing real estate transactions.
00:08:24 — Working Full-Time During Law School
00:09:32 — Defense Work and Learning the Other Side
00:10:26 — Opening His Own Firm in 2020
00:13:28 — Starting a Firm During COVID
00:17:35 — Building a Referral-Based Practice
00:21:04 — Wrongful Death/DWI Case in Fayette County
00:23:06 — Jury Selection in a Small Community
00:26:36 — Talking About DWI, Damages, and Accountability
00:28:06 — A $6.95 Million Verdict and Closure for the Family
00:32:52 — Nurse’s Foot-Crush Injury Case
00:36:13 — Medical Testimony and Proving Nerve Damage
00:38:40 — Trial Strategy with Witnesses and Liability
00:42:46 — $4.49 Million Verdict Without Economic Damages
00:43:10 — Per Diem Damages Arguments
00:45:19 — High-Low Agreements and Waiver of Appeal
00:47:09 — Commercial Vehicle Collision Case
00:48:27 — TBI, Herniations, and a Subsequent Accident
00:50:53 — Telling the Client’s Story
00:52:03 — Handling Preexisting Mental Anguish
00:53:10 — Auto vs. Bicycle Injury Case
00:55:35 — $500,000 Bicycle Case Verdict
00:56:04 — Trey’s Current Trial Docket
00:56:42 — Keeping Trials Short and Focused
00:58:29 — Final Thoughts and Contact Information
