(1929 - 2005)
Gerry Michaud's course was set in 1959 when suing doctors was taboo. He successfully tried the case of a woman who had become deaf as a result of an allergic reaction to a tetanus shot given too soon after a sensitivity test. Gerry became known as a world-class medical malpractice lawyer whose career included numerous ground breaking cases. Some of those cases include proving benzene caused cancer which won a $34 million verdict against Texaco; proving birth control pills caused strokes, kidney disease, heart disease, blood clots, and hair loss and forcing drug companies to reformulate the pills with less estrogen; and proving super-absorbent tampons caused toxic shock syndrome while winning an $11 million verdict from International Playtex in the 1983 death of a Wichita woman. The company voluntarily recalled the product two weeks after the trial and changed it to make it safer.
Gerry once gave a talk at an Inner Circle meeting about his general policy of not deposing a defense expert whenever he was able to obtain articles written by the expert on the subject, or was able to get discovery from others on the expert. His view was that we too often give more away than we benefit from or what we get in deposing experts. He felt it was too often a dress rehearsal for both the expert and his or her attorney. Further, he thought that it allowed the expert to prepare for trial cross and it made the expert (and his lawyer's examination) much more conservative in their opinions out of fear of the unknown as to what information or tactic Gerry had in mind.
Gerry was a wonderful person in addition to being a terrific lawyer. He was a great teacher. He shared and was happy to do so. He was a master at telling the story of the case and proving it.
