The complexities of pharmaceutical drugs and safety risks are not part of a law school curriculum. However, lawyers must understand and explain the science behind any alleged related liability. That’s why the law firm of Robinson Calcagnie, Inc. does more than merely find experts to help them educate juries. “This morning I spent two hours on the phone learning more about opioids because I need to know what’s going on and how they’re causing so many serious problems in this country,” says Mark P. Robinson, Jr., founder and senior partner.
This commitment to understanding every aspect of a case extends to maintaining the firm’s expertise and resources in order to establish a balance of power in the courtroom where influential corporations and insurance companies are involved.
“We’re not just doing this for our own clients, but helping other people to learn from what we’ve learned,” says Robinson. “Just as we open up our own evidence and testing warehouse to other lawyers, we also help when we get a particular kind of case. For example, someone from LA called me regarding Roundup—he wants to see what we have, what we know. We’re going to help him.”
This kind of collaboration makes it possible for the firm to meet its goal of assisting people who suffer catastrophic personal injury, as well as helping the families left to cope with a wrongful death. The stakes are high in litigation involving substantial economic loss and damages.
“There are different types of evidence to show the nexus between the product and the particular outcome,” says Robinson. “At the end of the day, the jury decides if there’s causation. So, it’s our job to make sure the jurors understand the underpinning science.”
