About this episode

Trial lawyers Bill Horton and D’Arcy L.R. Rapp discuss their $140 million verdict in the case of Davis v. NCAA, focusing on concussion risks and trial strategies.

Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview trial lawyers Bill Horton and D’Arcy L.R. Rapp about their Dallas trial of Davis v. NCAA, arising from SMU lineman JT Davis’s repeated head impacts from 1955–1959, his later dementia, and a postmortem Boston University diagnosis of stage four CTE after his 2016 death. CASE SUMMARY: They discuss securing a $140 million verdict ($30M compensatory, $110M punitive), the NCAA’s historical knowledge of concussion risks through decades of medical literature and internal documents (including a 1933 medical handbook), and how the team simplified complex science and governance evidence using timelines, boards, and themes like control, competitive disadvantage, and “recommendations vs rules.” They address defenses including Alzheimer’s, vascular factors, APOE4 genetic predisposition (framed as eggshell plaintiff), statute-of-limitations discovery issues, and trial strategy, cross-examinations, and damages presentation. (READ MORE) GUEST BIOS BILL HORTON: Bill Horton has spent his career fighting for people who the system often overlooks—delivering results that stand among the largest in his field, including a $140 million verdict against the NCAA…

People in this episode

Hosts: Steve Lowry, Yvonne Godfrey

Guests: Bill Horton, D’Arcy L.R. Rapp

Topics covered

• concussion risks
• legal strategy
• sports law
• trial verdicts
• CTE diagnosis
• medical literature
• defense strategies

Keywords

• Davis v. NCAA
• concussion
• CTE
• trial lawyers
• verdict
• medical evidence
• defense
• damages

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NCAA

Books & works: Boston University

Places: Dallas, SMU

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