Coleman and Hagwood Deliver Knock-Out On Appeal

HAT shareholders Carl Hagwood and Mike Coleman won an appeal at the Mississippi Supreme Court Nov. 5, when the Supreme Court affirmed the directed verdict the HAT trial team originally obtained for a local neurosurgeon at trial. The trial team, including Coleman, Hagwood and Marian McGehee, first won at trial by having the primary opinions of the plaintiff’s expert struck under Daubert, which prevented the plaintiff from establishing their case. With the plaintiff’s case gutted, the plaintiff could not survive the motion for directed verdict argued by Coleman and Hagwood.

The plaintiff then appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court. Both attorneys briefed the case, while Coleman handled the oral arguments. The Supreme Court agreed with the arguments put forth by Coleman and Hagwood and affirmed the trial court’s decision to strike the expert’s opinions and direct the verdict in favor of Coleman and Hagwood’s client.

Read the full decision here.