Novato, CA, July 30, 2024 — Nationwide insurance and civil litigation firm Tyson & Mendes LLP secured a full defense verdict in a half million-dollar neighbor dispute trial. The case involved allegations of nuisance, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the firm’s client and a co-defendant who was represented by another firm.

The plaintiffs accused the defendants of harassment, which they asserted resulted in a loss of property value as well as emotional distress. At trial, plaintiffs called several witnesses and ultimately asked the jury to award $500,000. Tyson & Mendes Associate Liam Sidebottom was instrumental in helping the jury come to a more reasonable conclusion.

Key to the defense strategy was demonstrating the plaintiffs’ own role in escalating the conflict, which significantly undermined their case. The defense team effectively deployed key themes of reasonableness, common sense, and responsibility, highlighting the plaintiffs’ demands as excessive and unsupported by the facts. “We argued our client accepted responsibility for her actions, but the evidence clearly showed the plaintiffs refused to accept responsibility for theirs,” said Sidebottom. “Our strategic focus on the relevant facts and exclusion of prejudicial evidence was crucial in securing the complete defense victory. By concentrating on the core issues and emphasizing the plaintiffs’ role in the conflict, we were able to effectively dismantle their case.”

The Tyson & Mendes team also used the firm’s proven Nuclear Verdict® Defense Methods, asking the jury to award $50,000 or less in the event they did not award a defense verdict. In a testament to the effectiveness of giving a number, the jury nonetheless returned a full defense verdict, finding no liability for either defendant. The verdict also entitles the firm to recover court fees and costs.

For more information and to view career opportunities, visit www.tysonmendes.com.

About Tyson & Mendes LLP

Tyson & Mendes LLP is a nationwide, AV-rated litigation and trial firm specializing in insurance defense and protecting its clients from Nuclear Verdicts®. Robert Tyson and Patrick Mendes founded the firm in 2002 to defend corporations, insurance companies, and their clients in civil litigation matters. The firm has experienced tremendous growth in the past two decades, with offices across the U.S. serving clients in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The firm is most widely recognized for winning the landmark Howell v. Hamilton Meats California Supreme Court case, which forever changed the state’s litigation landscape by significantly impacting the damages a plaintiff may recover. In 2022, the firm launched the Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute, the only trial academy that teaches defense attorneys how to stop Nuclear Verdicts®. Robert Tyson is also the author of the Amazon Bestseller Nuclear Verdicts®: Defending Justice for All, the first (and only) playbook for the defense on how to avoid runaway jury verdicts.

For more information, visit www.tysonmendes.com.

Media Contact

Jennifer Johnston
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Plat4orm PR

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