The Case: In 2007, the firm represented Andrew Blood, an Xcel Energy employee who was severely paralyzed in 2004 while at work for the telecommunications company. Blood fell 25 feet after the utility poll he had been working on broke. The fall paralyzed Blood and left him unable to work, and Blood’s wife had to quit her job to take care of her husband. The firm represented Blood and his family in their suit against Qwest Communications, which owned the utility pole. The firm was able to show that Qwest had failed to inspect or maintain the pole since it had been installed in 1958.

The Result: A Denver jury awarded Blood $39.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages, which is among the largest personal injury verdicts in the state’s history. Qwest appealed the award and the Colorado Supreme Court upheld the verdict.