Episode 22

full
Published on:

7th Feb 2025

Melanie Sulkin – Turning a Low-Impact Crash into a $583K Verdict

At a glance, the two large vehicles involved in a rear-end collision – a Toyota 4Runner and a Nissan Xterra – didn’t appear visibly damaged. And Melanie Sulkin’s client didn’t appear injured. 

But Melanie pursued the case beyond surface images. She recounts her methods with host Keith Fuicelli. From proving the significant frame damage to her client’s car and the permanent injury to her client’s rotator cuff, Melanie describes an approach that yielded a jury verdict of nearly $583,000.

Learn More and Connect with Colorado Trial Lawyers

☑️ Melanie Sulkin | LinkedIn

☑️ Krivit Law | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

☑️ Keith Fuicelli | LinkedIn

☑️ Fuicelli & Lee Injury Lawyers

☑️ Fuicelli & Lee Injury Lawyers on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn

☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Episode Snapshot

  • Melanie found her calling as an undergraduate when she founded Northern Illinois University’s mock trial team.
  • Early in her career, Melanie was on the team that tried the first M2a Magnum Biomet case in the country.
  • In a recent case, Melanie represented a client who was rear-ended, but both her client’s car and the defendant’s car showed little to no visible property damage.
  • Even though the defendant originally admitted fault, his stories changed during trial in an attempt to place some blame on Melanie’s client.
  • In arguing that the crash caused her client’s rotator cuff tear, Melanie showed photos of the car, and her client testified that she had the entire frame repaired.  
  • Melanie struck many jurors who said during voir dire that her client “looks fine.” 
  • When the “mechanism of injury” became a question at trial, Melanie elicited an answer from the defense surgeon.
  • The defendant’s insurance carrier initially agreed to a demand of $300,000, but then backed off. For Melanie’s client, the decision to go to trial was easy. “They told us to make a demand, we did it, and they didn't make good on it,” Melanie says.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to be taken as legal advice. The information provided by Fuicelli & Lee is intended to provide general information regarding comprehensive injury and accident attorney services for clients in the state of Colorado.

All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Colorado Trial Lawyer Connection

About the Podcast

Colorado Trial Lawyer Connection
The pursuit of justice starts here.

Join host Keith Fuicelli as we uncover the stories, strategies, and lessons from Colorado trial lawyers to help you and your clients achieve justice in the courtroom.

Our goal is to bridge the gap between theory and practice—connecting you to the proven strategies that work from the state’s most accomplished litigators—to sharpen your own skills in the pursuit of justice.

If this podcast is bringing value to your practice, be sure to subscribe and join us on every episode as we dissect real cases, learn from Colorado's top trial lawyers, and empower our legal community to reach greater heights of success. Keep your connection to Colorado’s best trial lawyers alive at https://www.TheCTLC.com

Ready to refer or collaborate on a case? The personal injury attorneys at Fuicelli & Lee can help. Visit our attorney referral page at https://TheCTLC.com/refer or call our Denver office at (303) 444-4444.

Fuicelli & Lee (https://coloradoinjurylaw.com) is a personal injury law firm dedicated to representing clients across Colorado who have suffered catastrophic injuries due to someone’s reckless or careless actions. Our top areas of focus include: car accidents, brain injury/TBI, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death claims, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, drunk driving accidents, dog bites, construction accidents, slip & fall/premises liability, and product liability.

The information contained in this podcast is not intended to be taken as legal advice. The information provided by Fuicelli & Lee is intended to provide general information regarding comprehensive injury and accident attorney services for clients in the state of Colorado.