$200M Jury Verdict Named “Top Verdicts of 2021” by American Association of Justice

West Palm Beach, FLA – June 28, 2022 – Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Littky-Rubin & Whitman is proud to announce that the $200 Million Jury Verdict obtained in the Batchelder v. Malibu Boats LLC trial has been recognized as one of the “Top Verdicts of 2021.” Additionally, the record-breaking verdict has been featured in the annual Litigation Packet published by the American Association of Justice.

The Batchelder Family

In 2014, the Batchelder family rented a 2000 Malibu Response LX open bow ski boat for a family reunion held at Lake Burton in Rabun County Georgia. While the boat was being operated at about 5-7 mph and properly loaded at a weight hundreds of pounds below the maximum rated capacity, the bow carrying four children swamped washing young Ryan into the water.

In an effort to prevent the boat from sinking, the operator, who did not see Ryan leave the boat, briefly put the boat into reverse, and Ryan became entangled in the boat’s unguarded propeller. He died as a result of drowning and significant injuries causing extensive blood loss.

The Trial Against the World’s Largest Ski-Boat Manufacturer

In August 2021, lead counsel, Don Fountain, a Florida Personal Injury Attorney and partners Julie H. Littky-Rubin, Ben J. Whitman, and Georgia Trial Lawyers Drew Ashby and Max Thelen obtained the record-breaking $200M Jury Verdict against Malibu Boats LLC, the Largest Ski Boat Manufacturer in the World. 

To date, the phenomenal result is the largest verdict in Rabun County history and the largest single verdict for the pain and suffering for wrongful death in the history of the State of Georgia.

Top Verdicts of 2021 Litigation Packet

The litigation packet includes the complaint, discovery, verdict forms, judgment, and transcripts of the opening statement and closing arguments.

The staff attorneys at the American Association of Justice work with leading trial lawyers from around the country to identify the best example and critical issues to highlight in each packet.

Litigation Packets can only be purchased by Regular, Sustaining, Life, or President’s Club members of AAJ for the sole and exclusive purpose of assisting clients of their law firm in the prosecution of the clients’ cases.

American Association of Justice

The mission of the American Association for Justice is to promote a fair and effective justice system, and to support the work of attorneys in their efforts to ensure that any person who is injured by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice in America’s courtrooms.

About Clark Fountain

Based in West Palm Beach, Florida, Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Littky-Rubin & Whitman, has been representing clients in all areas of personal injury litigation, including automobile and trucking crashes, product liability, wrongful death, and medical malpractice law for nearly four decades.

The prestigious plaintiff personal injury firm has a longstanding history of successfully litigating complex cases and its phenomenal track record of obtaining record-setting verdicts and settlements for their injured clients in Florida and throughout the United States. For more information, call our office at 561-899-2144.

Media Contact: Celia Quitugua, Marketing Director, cquitugua@clarkfountain.com