09/28/2025
Lawyer Aaron DeShaw was part of a trial team that obtained a record verdict of $82,105,345.70 this week in Ohio.
Our client was hit on a motorcycle by a commercial vehicle resulting in the amputations of his left arm and leg.
The verdict was $82,105,345.70 (believed to be the highest verdict in Ohio history.) Our client was found to be 0% of the cause of the crash. The verdict was $79,105,345.70 for Michael Shank, and $3,000,000 in loss of consortium for his wife Brittany Shank.
Lawyer George Sidiropolis represented the couple for many years, taking the case over from other lawyers. He developed a strong relationship with the family in the most difficult times. While discovery was nearly complete, the insurers and corporate defendants refused to make a meaningful settlement offer - far less than the $2.7 million in past medical bills.
Mr. Sideropolous decided to assemble a specialized legal team for the Shank family. In 2023 Sidiropolous hired Aaron DeShaw and Michael Leizerman as trial counsel. The three firms looked at the case, the expert witnesses, and formulated a path forward. Leizerman was permitted to take a new deposition of the truck driver, and his extensive experience handling commercial vehicle and trucking cases resulted in case changing admissions.
Given that the case had not been settled, Sidiropolous and DeShaw, who both have extensive background with insurance bad faith litigation, considered the insurance issues if the settlement offer did not increase.
DeShaw is one of the leading amputation lawyers in the country with two of the largest amputation verdicts in US history. After being hired, DeShaw, who is nationally known for his demand letter methods, attempted to settle the case for the policy limit of the two companies’ insurance. The insurers refused to tender their policies, making no offer. During a judicial settlement conference the defendants and their insurers highest offer was $350,000.
DeShaw (on behalf of the team) continued to offer the defendants and their insurers the opportunity to settle after initial motion rulings that improved the plaintiffs’ chances of winning. The insurers refused, believing a Jefferson County Ohio jury wouldn’t return a verdict over $350,000.
At George’s suggestion the legal team added attorney Jeff Bruzzese as local counsel, who provided great assistance with local witnesses as well as insights on arguments before the court.
The new legal team worked together diligently for the past two years, and long hours together throughout the trial, resulting in an excess verdict against both companies. It is good proof that even in smaller communities, juries will return significant verdicts when people are seriously injured.
The case is believed to be the highest amputation verdict in US history for an amputee. While there was a double leg amputation case that received a verdict of $95,000,000 total, $10,000,000 of that was for the loss of consortium claim, and that plaintiff was found to be 10% liable - reducing the verdict to $76,500,000. As a result, the verdict of $79,105,345.70 for M Shank is the highest verdict for an amputee.
Learn more about how the team tried this case:
https://www.deshawlaw.com/blog/amputation-lawyer-aaron-deshaw-obtains-highest-amputee-verdict-in-u.s-history
