Robert Chaiken & Paul Perkins | McGowan v. City of Winter Garden | $37.54 Million

On the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview trial lawyers Rob Chaiken and Paul Perkins Jr. about Anthony McGowan v. City of Winter Garden, tried in March 2026 in Orange County, Florida, arising from a police pursuit that they argued should not have been initiated and should have been terminated.

CASE DETAILS: Anthony McGowan v. City of Winter Garden, tried in Orange County, Florida in March 2026, resulting in a $37,542,665.43 verdict. The case involved a police pursuit that plaintiffs argued should not have been initiated and should have been terminated; the chase averaged about 124 mph over 3.1 miles, and the pursued vehicle was not the one sought in an earlier home-invasion/kidnapping. The fleeing driver struck McGowan, causing catastrophic injuries and a later stroke after splenectomy; the driver fled and was never apprehended.

GUEST BIOS:

Paul C. Perkins, Jr. was born and reared in Orlando, Florida. He developed a passionate desire to seek justice at an early age by watching his father Paul C. Perkins display his skills in court and act as a business and civic leader the community in which they lived. Paul’s parents instilled in him an understanding of the blessings he was given and the obligation he had to society to make an impact. “Of whom much is given, much is required.” After graduating from Trinity Preparatory School, he enrolled at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, surmising that there would be no better place to be prepared to serve than the training ground for some of America’s greatest leaders. At Morehouse, Mr. Perkins finally decided that the best way for him to make an impact was to follow in his father’s footsteps and seek justice in America’s courtrooms on behalf of those less fortunate. Knowing he would be returning to his home town, he enrolled at the University of Florida College of Law in Gainesville. (READ MORE)

Rob Chaiken was born in Falls Church, Virginia on March 26, 1966. He attended the University of Texas in Austin, where he graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He attended law school at the University of Florida and graduated from law school in 1991. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is a member of the United States District Courts for Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and Texas Trial Lawyers Associations (TTLA). (READ MORE)

LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:

Paul & Perkins, PA Instagram: @paulandperkins LinkedIn: Paul & Perkins, PA LinkedIn: Attorney Paul Perkins Jr. Website: paulandperkins.com

Chaiken & Chaiken, P.C. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chaikenlaw LinkedIn: Chaiken & Chaiken, P.C. LinkedIn: Robert Chaiken Instagram: @robertchaiken Instagram: @chaiken.law Website: chaikenlaw.com

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FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:52 Rob Chaiken Background

01:19 Service Dogs Side Mission

02:31 Paul Perkins Legacy

03:29 Thurgood Marshall Juror Twist

06:05 Case Overview and Verdict

09:13 Pursuit Case Challenges

12:04 Missing Dash Cam Evidence

14:59 Driving the Route Math

17:17 Who Was the Striking Driver

19:35 Wrong Car Wrong Suspect

24:25 Officer Adrenaline First Chase

26:07 Dash Cam Surprise Before Trial

27:24 Orange County Venue Insights

29:47 Juror Questions Live Scoreboard

33:19 Juror Questions Midtrial

34:06 Voir Dire Police Bias

36:30 Flipping Policy Training

37:29 Why Take the Case

39:09 Proving Before and After

41:05 Seven Minute Damages Close

46:59 Anthony in Court Daily

50:20 Experts Live vs Video

53:32 Defense Missteps on Cross

54:52 Alternate Juror Feedback

57:02 Catching Officer Lies

01:00:45 Trial Lessons and Wrap Up