GTP CLASSIC | William Applegate & Liam Duffy │Estate of Jose Larios v. Dominion Energy South Carolina f/k/a S.C. Electric & Gas Company│$21 million verdict

This week we're replaying a Great Trials Podcast classic episode that originally aired in January 2020 with guests William Applegate and Liam Duffy of Yarborough Applegate (https://www.yarboroughapplegate.com/).

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Case Details:

Yarborough Applegate attorneys William Applegate and Liam Duffy share how they secured the largest jury verdict in Colleton County, South Carolina history for the wrongful death of landscaper Jose Larios. While trimming palm trees on Edisto Island, South Carolina, Jose screamed in pain and fell from a 25-foot ladder. Further investigation revealed hidden power lines that shocked Jose, causing him to fall and suffer fatal injuries. In this wrongful death case where the defense disputed the cause of Jose’s injuries, the jury returned a verdict of $21 million in damages and assigned 90 percent of the responsibility to Dominion Energy South Carolina and 10 percent to Jose.

Click to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents

Guest Bios:

William Applegate

William is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law. As a law student, he received the Public Interest Law Society Grant to work in Washington, D.C., served as vice-president of the Pro Bono Board, and was a student member of the John Belton O'Neal Inn of Court. Following law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable James R. Barber, III, of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of South Carolina, before starting a private practice with Motley Rice, one of the largest plaintiff's firms in the country.

William has represented individuals and companies as plaintiffs throughout South Carolina and the U.S. and has achieved significant recoveries on their behalf. He has experience in a variety of different legal areas and has litigated cases covering a broad spectrum, ranging from Federal Employer's Liability Act relating to occupational disease and catastrophic injuries; Jones Act personal injury; Oil Pollution Act cases relating to oil spills from container ships and oil refineries; products liability relating to unsafe products and unsafe drugs; toxic spills from railroad companies; consumer fraud class actions; commercial litigation, as well as securities fraud, derivative, deal, and misrepresentation cases under the Securities and Exchange Act.

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Liam Duffy

Liam is a Washington, D.C. native who has called Charleston home for more than a decade. He is a proud product of the College of Charleston and is a summa cum laude graduate of the Charleston School of Law.

While in law school, Liam earned several CALI awards (highest grade) and finished in the top five of his graduating class. He was champion of the school’s moot court competition and Symposium Editor of the Charleston Law Review, where he brought together the nation’s top legal and medical minds for a CLE program titled “Under Further Review: A Legal Look at the World of Sports.” He also served as an extern for The Honorable C. Weston Houck, U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina and was selected as a student member of the James L. Petigru Inn of Court.

Prior to joining Yarborough Applegate, Liam practiced with one of Charleston’s premier litigation firms, where he represented both plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving unfair trade practices, partnership, and LLC disputes, construction litigation, truck tire failure, products liability, e-Discovery, will contests, breach of contract, catastrophic personal injury, copyright infringement, and a litany of other high-stakes litigation. He has substantial first and second-chair trial experience in multi-million dollar cases and has handled all facets of complex litigation in state and federal courts.

At Yarborough Applegate, Liam draws on his varied experience to advocate for the victims (and families of victims) of catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and other serious personal or business losses.

Liam is active in the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division, where he has been recognized for his leadership as Representative for the 9th Judicial Circuit. He was also previously appointed to serve as Chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division’s Law Practice Management Committee. Liam is a member of the South Carolina Bar House of Delegates and Vice President of the Charleston Lawyers Club. Through these activities, he is actively involved with Special Olympics South Carolina, Make-A-Wish® South Carolina, and other community organizations.

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Free Resources:

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2