10/15/2026
This Best Practices Breakdown from Brian Ward and Valeri Malone’s episode explores how trial lawyers can create leverage even when the available coverage appears limited.
From challenging the carrier’s interpretation of coverage to finding creative ways to prove harm for a child too young to explain what happened, Brian and Valeri share practical lessons on building a case beyond its apparent limitations.
The breakdown also looks at how they used powerful evidence with restraint, simplified a contested PTSD diagnosis for the jury, chose experts for credibility rather than pedigree, and built a demand that was both aggressive enough to matter and conservative enough to defend.
The case started with the carrier claiming only $100,000 was available.
It ended with a $1.2 million recovery for Berkeley and her family.
More importantly, it is a reminder that the larger fight can never become more important than the client.
🎙 From a $100,000 Policy to a $1.2M Settlement
Best Practices with Kenny Berger
Season 6 Episode 18
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube