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 Barton

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 Work

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