Two recent Groth, Makarenko, Kaiser & Eidex litigation victories have received recognition from leading legal industry publications, with the Daily Report and Law360 highlighting the firm’s successful trial and appellate results. The coverage includes a jury defense verdict in an $8 million personal injury lawsuit and a Georgia Court of Appeals decision upholding an important provision of the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act.
On June 15, 2026, partner Kevin James won a full defense verdict in a case that was tried to a jury in the State Court of DeKalb County. This was an $8 million case brought by America’s Largest Injury Firm. The lawsuit arose from a four-vehicle motor vehicle collision that occurred on October 3, 2019, where both parties were traveling eastbound on I-285 near the I-85 junction. Traffic came to stop when Defendant rear ended vehicle 2, which then was pushed into Plaintiff, and subsequently Plaintiff was pushed into vehicle 4. There were no reports of injuries at the scene.
The jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before returning a verdict in favor of the defense for $0. Mr. James submitted an Offer of Settlement in 2021 for $100,000 and is in position to recover all fees under that Offer. The case is Lisa Coleman v. Stephon Avery, State Court of DeKalb County CAFN 20A81985.
“Defense Playbook: How GMKE’s Kevin James Overcame Morgan & Morgan’s $8M Damages Bid,” is the title of a June 23, 2026, article written about the trial by Cedra Mayfield of Law.com’s Daily Report. The reporter explores the trial strategy that successfully defended an admittedly negligent motorist from $8 million in damages sought by a Morgan & Morgan plaintiff. (Subscription required.)
Click on the link to read our blog post on Lisa Coleman v. Stephon Avery.
The second matter involved Thigpen et al. v. Prickett et al., in which partner Jay Eidex successfully defended a dismissal of claims against his client. On June 12, 2026, the Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s ruling, preserving the application of the Workers’ Compensation Exclusive Remedy Provision of The Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act.
Law360.com reported on this ruling in a June 12, 2026, article titled “Ga. Court Won’t Reinstate Suit Over Teen Worker’s Death.” (Subscription required.)
Click on the link to read our blog post on Thigpen.
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About Groth, Makarenko, Kaiser & Eidex
Groth, Makarenko, Kaiser & Eidex LLC is a Georgia-based insurance defense law firm with an extensive record of trying cases and obtaining results. The firm’s litigators have handled more than 565 trials across the states of Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.
GMKE concentrates its practice in the areas of motor vehicle liability, premises liability, trucking claims, commercial defense litigation, as well as insurance coverage and declaratory judgments. In 2023, GMKE launched Sugarloaf ADR, a full-service alternative dispute resolution provider operating in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.
Partners and senior partners have extensive experience working as in-house counsel at one of the largest personal line insurance companies in the country. As a result, firm members bring a deep understanding of claims management priorities to every case. Details are available online at https://gmke.law/ and https://sugarloafadr.com/.
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