Cynthia Braun

Cynthia A. Braun has practiced for 30 years in the areas of personal injury and medical negligence, holding licenses to practice in Arizona, New Mexico, and on the Navajo Nation. Her focus on securing equitable outcomes through ADR to resolve claims and recovery is backed by substantial trial experience and medical knowledge to prosecute cases involving complex medical issues. In 2022, she was appointed by the Arizona Supreme Court to two State Bar committees including the Committee on Character and Fitness and the Board of Legal Specialization, further showcasing her commitment to legal excellence and her top professional rating.

• Beyond Hot Coffee: Civil Damages in American Courts

  
  

  While the traditional “common law” continues to be the foundation for most civil cases, the law on civil damages has undergone expansion in American jurisprudence. Sometimes, the results may seem bizarre or even preposterous to Scottish jurists. You may be surprised to learn what really happened in the McDonald’s Hot Coffee trial, which happened in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Find out why the jury was motivated to return a large verdict for the plaintiff and how the trend has continued. This presentation will also discuss efforts by “red” States to “cap” damages and limit recoveries (a movement known as “tort reform”), and how the plaintiff’s bar continues to fight for the rights of the “little guy” against government abuses, Big Pharma, corporate greed, drunk drivers and other wrongdoers in our communities. You will hear about recent exceptional jury awards and settlements to highlight the evolution of the American law of damages.