$495 million verdict against Abbott laboratories with Jake Plattenberger and Tor Hoerman

Join Ben and Rahul for their discussion with Jake and Tor, breaking down the recent 495 million Dollar verdict in a product liability case against Abbott Laboratories for pre-term infant formula that increases the risks for developing necrotizing enterocolitis. Hear how Jake and Tor navigated this difficult case and won this epic battle. About Jacob Plattenbergerhttps://www.torhoermanlaw.com/team/jake-plattenberger/Jacob Plattenberger has taken hundreds of depositions, argued in countless hearings, and tried over 35 cases to a jury.His experience in and out of the courtroom has made him a passionate advocate for those injured due to the negligence of others.Jake started his career trying cases at one of the busiest civil courthouses in the country – the Richard J. Daley Center in downtown Chicago.He started out doing insurance defense because he knew that afforded him the best opportunity to get courtroom experience.“When I was working on the defense side, I always knew that I was going to be a plaintiff’s lawyer. I knew that being able and willing to try a case to a jury was a skill that I needed to have if I was going to be able to offer my clients the best legal representation. Insurance companies and corporate defendants need to believe you when you say you will take them to trial – they need to fear that.”This type of real trial experience is exceedingly rare in complex civil litigation and having seen it from the defense side gives Jake an added advantage.At TorHoerman Law, Jake manages our Chicago office where he leads trial teams in nationwide, complex litigations such as:Representing dozens of workers across the United States who were exposed to Diacetyl at work and now suffer lung diseaseeg. The Juul/E-cigarette LitigationThe Incretin Mimetics Products Liability Litigation, currently pending in the Southern District of California, where he was named to the Plaintiff’s Steering CommitteeVarious Transvaginal Mesh multidistrict litigations that are currently pendingJake also maintains a personal injury practice in Chicago, representing people and their families who have been victims of catastrophic auto and truck accidents, products liability, maritime accidents, premises liability, and medical negligence.Jake believes that to successfully represent his clients, it is absolutely necessary to get personally involved.Jake’s quote below perfectly reflects that belief! Notable Cases & ResultsIncretin Mimetics – Products Liability Litigation, MDL Case No. 13MD2452 AJB (MDD). Appointed to the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee by Judge Battaglia in the MDL. The case is pending.JUUL E-Cigarettes – Products Liability Litigation, JCCP No. 5052. Appointed to the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee by Judge Anne Jones in the JCCP. The case is pending.Diacetyl – Leads the Diacetyl litigation for TorHoerman Law. Previous settlements and verdicts have exceeded $5,000,000.00 to date. Litigation is currently ongoing.Actos Related Cases, MDL Case No. 11 L 10011, Et. Al. – Actively participated in managing the case for TorHoerman Law which resulted in a $2.4 billion settlement.Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents Litigation Case No. 279 and Products Liability Litigation MDL No. 1909 – Managed the cases for TorHoerman Law which resulted in a large, confidential settlement.Bus Accident – Handled a bus accident injury case in which an individual was thrown from a seat. Resulted in a $850,000.00 settlement.Auto Accident – Handled an auto accident injury case that resulted in a $650,000.00 settlement.Slip and Fall – Handled a slip and fall accident that occurred on a sightseeing boat in Chicago. Resulted in a $490,000.00 settlement. Personal LifeJake was born and raised in Chicago.He now lives in the Chicago suburbs, where his two young sons keep him busy.When he isn’t working, Jake is a lifelong Bears and Cubs fan and loves participating in the (mostly) healthy rivalry between the Cubs and Cardinals fans at TorHoerman Law.   About Tor Hoermanhttps://www.torhoermanlaw.com/team/tor-hoerman/Tor Hoerman is a nationally recognized attorney who has served in the field for more than 25 years.He is most well-known as the founder of the personal injury law firm TorHoerman Law, LLC (THL). Early Life & EducationTor was born the youngest of four boys on July 16, 1969, in Bethesda, Maryland to Kirk and Greta Hoerman.With his father serving as a Captain in the Navy, Tor often moved towns during his childhood, eventually landing in the Chicago metropolitan area.In Chicago, Tor lived in the Great Lakes Naval Base and Lake Bluff before his family settled in Lake Forest, which is where he attended high school.Despite repeatedly switching homes, Tor made the most of his situation.In high school, he played football, basketball, and baseball, and he earned varsity letters in each of these sports.In addition to varsity recognition, he was recognized as an All-county athlete and awarded the Booster Club Athlete of the Year his senior year.Outside of sports, Tor coached little league baseball, served as a summer camp counselor, and worked as a summertime janitor at his former high school after graduating.Tor attended Depauw University and majored in Political Science.He played NCAA baseball and football at Depauw, and he was the captain of the baseball team.After graduating from Depauw in 1991, Tor enrolled in the Chicago-Kent College of Law.During law school, Tor bartended at a local bar and clerked for Kravolec, Jambois & Schwartz, LLC. Legal CareerAfter graduating from law school in 1995, Tor took on a job doing insurance defense at Bolero, Cart & Stone, LLC, where he worked reluctantly for a year and a half.One day at work, Tor received a phone call from Steve Jambois, his former employer throughout law school, asking if he wanted a job on the plaintiff’s side of insurance law.Tor immediately accepted the job, kickstarting decades to come of fighting corporations on behalf of harmed individuals.Tor’s Transition to Medical Malpractice LitigationTor returned to Kravolec, Jambois & Schwartz to fight on behalf of medical malpractice victims, which mostly consisted of high-intensity trial work in the Chicago courthouse.After seven years at the Jambois firm, Hoeman was recruited by the Simmons law firm, based in an Illinois suburb of St. Louis, to start and lead a branch of the practice that focused on pharmaceutical litigation.Leading the Pharmaceutical Practice at Simmons Law FirmTor became a partner of what is now Simmons, Hanly, and Conroy and led the pharmaceutical practice for seven years.One of Tor most notable achievements while leading the practice was his work against Purdue Pharma and its reckless distribution of OxyContin.Tor was the first to file a case alleging Purdue Pharma’s wrongdoing in distributing OxyContin and failing to adequately warn healthcare providers and the public of the risks of addiction.Achieving Justice Against Purdue PharmaHe led the litigation process and got Purdue Pharma to agree to a large settlement, which was distributed to thousands of accidental addicts.Tor took a step further to achieve justice in this case, assisting the Department of Justice in obtaining guilty pleas by Purdue Pharma representatives who had a direct role in contributing to the opioid epidemic. Founding TorHoerman LawHaving garnered success leading the pharmaceutical branch at the Simmons firm, Tor amicably decided to split from Simmons in 2009 and start his own pharmaceutical and personal injury practice called TorHoerman Law, LLC (THL).After negotiating the terms of the split, Tor struck a deal that allowed him to bring his entire staff from Simmons to his new practice, which summed up to more than 25 lawyers and staff members.Expansion and Success of THLTor opened offices in Edwardsville, IL; Clayton, MO; and Chicago, IL to kickstart operations; all three offices remain open today.In the time since opening THL, Tor and his team have litigated many pharmaceutical malpractice and personal injury...