Indiana Injury Lawyer Blog

The Indiana Supreme Court has granted petition to transfer in the case Stanley v. Walker. The Court is set to hear oral argument on the matter November 6, 2008 at 9:45 a.m. in the Indiana Supreme Court Court Room. It can be watched live via webcast at the IndianaCourts website.

In Stanley v. Walker, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the Johnson Superior Court in preventing the defendant from introducing evidence at trial that the plaintiff's medical providers and health insurance company had negotiated a "write off" which reduced the amount plaintiff was initially billed after receiving medical services. The Indiana Court of Appeals held that Indiana's collateral source evidentiary statute precluded the evidence from being admitted.

This past Friday, September 5th, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association (“ITLA”) presented an all-day seminar entitled “Personal Injury Trials from Start to Finish” at the ISTA Conference Center in downtown Indianapolis.

Tony Patterson (seminar chair) and Paul Kruse, both attorneys from the law firm Parr Richey Obremskey & Morton, as well as six other central Indiana attorneys addressed roughly twenty attendees on a range of topics associated with personal injury trials. Topics included: motions in limine and pre-trial evidentiary issues; presenting compelling opening statements; effective uses of lay witness testimony and dealing with defense and surprise witnesses; trying a personal injury case from the defense perspective; utilizing technology exhibits on a budget at trial; choosing your experts and effectively presenting testimony; dealing with the defenses’ medical examiners; and effective use of testimony, jury instructions and demonstrative evidence during closing argument.