Take That Elon! $60M Verdict Against Tesla with Lee Christie and Karen Zahka

Join Rahul and Ben for their discussion with Indiana trial lawyer Lee Christie and Trial Lawyers for Justice Attorney, Karen Zahka, as they break down their recent trial against Tesla.  Although the case started out as a simple pickup truck vs. motorcycle accident involving a left turn, the personal involvement of Elon Musk led to an unusual investment of resources on the defense side and high drama in the courtroom.  To get to verdict, the plaintiff had to navigate a series of landmines and obstacles, including numerous law firms entering and exiting the case, a sea of motions, dozens of requests for mistrial and a hold-out juror that almost led to a mistrial during jury deliberations.   Link to animation video mentioned in episode:https://hypelegal.wistia.com/medias/z8rn4p0v6u About Lee Christie Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers | Christie Farrell Lee & Bell (cflblaw.com) Lee Christie is a part­ner with Christie Farrell Lee & Bell and is a life­long Indi­ana res­i­dent. He is pas­sion­ate in rep­re­sen­ta­tion, and takes pride in the relationships he devel­ops with his clients. He has exten­sive trial expe­ri­ence in both fed­eral and state court and is a fre­quent lec­turer on trial, medi­a­tion, per­sonal injury, med­ical mal­prac­tice, truck­ing acci­dents, and set­tle­ment issues. Lee has represented thousands of clients who have been personally injured and has obtained settlements and verdicts as high as $30.5M.  Lee is highly civically engaged with several Indiana organizations, including the Walker Foundation (founding board member and officer) and Indianapolis Bar Foundation (board member and officer), and is a patron of the YMCA.  He is past president of the Lawrence Township Girls Basketball League and continues to work with youth in the inner city of Indianapolis. AchievementsLee has been selected by Super Lawyers as a Top 10 Super Lawyer in Indi­ana and was named the Best Lawyer, Indi­anapo­lis Lawyer of the Year for Medi­a­tion (2014) and Arbitration (2012). He is a mem­ber of the Indi­ana Trial Lawyers Asso­ci­a­tion, the Amer­i­can Asso­ci­a­tion for Jus­tice, the Inter­state Truck­ing Lit­i­ga­tion Group, and Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. Lee has verdicts and settlements ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to over $30 million. Hon­ors2025 President of the Indianapolis Bar AssociationIndiana Judicial Nominating and Qualifications Commission (to serve a three-year term beginning 1/1/23)Indiana State Bar Association GP Hall of Fame Award 2021National Trial Lawyers: Trucking Trial Lawyers Association Top 10 in IndianaIndiana Lawyer Distinguished Barrister Award, 2017Indi­ana Trial Lawyer’s Asso­ci­a­tion Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2015National Asso­ci­a­tion of Dis­tin­guished Coun­sel – The Nation’s Top One Per­cent, 2015, Founding MemberSelected to Top 10 Indi­ana Super Lawyers, 2014Selected to Top 50 Indi­ana Super Lawyers, 2005–presentThe Best Lawyers in Amer­ica,® Per­sonal Injury Lit­i­ga­tion—Plaintiffs, 2005-presentBest Lawyers® Indianapolis Medi­a­tion “Lawyer of the Year”Mar­tin­dale Hubbel high­est AVrat­ing, 1983-20172010 Civility Award Recipient – Indiana State Bar Association Named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers® for:Arbitration, Indianapolis (2024)Mediation, Indianapolis (2024)Arbitration, Indianapolis (2019)Mediation, Indianapolis (2018)Mediation, Indianapolis (2014)Arbitration, Indianapolis (2012) MembershipsIndianapolis Bar Association2025 PresidentNational Asso­ci­a­tion of Dis­tin­guished Coun­sel, Found­ing MemberAcademy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA)Amer­i­can Asso­ci­a­tion of Jus­tice (AAJ)Leaders ForumSus­tain­ing Mem­berInterstate Trucking Litigation GroupIndi­ana Trial Lawyers Asso­ci­a­tion (ITLA)Sus­tain­ing Mem­berCol­lege of Fel­lowsIndiana State Bar AssociationLitigation SectionSustaining MemberAdvanced Stud­ies in Trial AdvocacyFellow-National Col­lege of Advocacy Court AdmissionsU.S. Dis­trict Court for the North­ern Dis­trict of IndianaU.S. Dis­trict Court for the South­ern Dis­trict of Indiana Bar AdmissionsIndi­ana, 1982 RecognitionsAvvo Top Attor­ney Per­sonal Injury – Lawyer Lee Christie  About Karen Zahka Home - Trial Lawyers For Justice (tl4j.com) Karen is a Partner at Trial Lawyers for Justice. She is an experienced and passionate trial lawyer. While she was born and raised in Massachusetts, Karen litigates and tries cases nationwide. She is currently admitted to practice in Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma. She practices in other jurisdictions via pro hac vice. Throughout Karen’s career, she has contributed to many multi-million verdicts and settlements, including but not limited to: Andrea Larkin, et al. v. Dedham Medical Associates, et al.: Karen was integral in successfully recovering over $40 million (with interest) for a 28-year-old woman who suffered a catastrophic stroke hours after labor and delivery of her daughter. Following this victory, Karen fought to defend and succeeded in defending the verdict from the insurance company’s attempt to overturn it on appeal. Edward Xu v. Tufts Medical Center, et al.:  Karen contributed to a $24.4 million verdict on behalf of a family whose newborn suffered from severe short bowel syndrome, which requires that he be tube fed for the rest of his life. Estate of Joshua Messier v. Bridgewater State Hospital: Karen helped to obtain a $3 million settlement for a family whose 23-year-old disabled son was improperly restrained and killed by correction officers at a Massachusetts prison. This success resulted in sweeping systemic changes to improve the care and treatment of disabled individuals in state prison systems. Estate of Zoe Rosenthal v. Charles J. Davignon, et al.: In April 2021, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Karen contributed to the $9.5 million verdict obtained on behalf of two daughters whose mother was negligently killed while walking her dog in a crosswalk near her home. According to the court clerk, this result set a record for a non-economic damages verdict for wrongful death with adult heirs in Western Massachusetts. While Karen is a zealous advocate for her clients, what she takes most pride in is that she cares about each of her clients on a personal level. She is a kind human first and a dedicated lawyer second. Karen recognizes that by the time you ask for her help, you have likely already experienced a catastrophic loss or injury. Compassion is a must, and she understands how overwhelming the legal system can be. It is for that reason that she always takes the time to explain each and every step of the legal process and she will be candid with you every step of the way. Karen received her undergraduate degree from Boston University, where she double majored in Political Science and Psychology. She then graduated from Suffolk University Law School, where she served as the Continuity Editing Assistant for The Journal of Health and Biomedical Law. She graduated from law school with Pro Bono Honors and was recognized for her time and commitment to volunteer legal services programs. Throughout law school, she not only worked full time, but also volunteered her nights and weekends with several non-profit programs dedicated to empowering survivors of domestic violence and assisting them in navigating the legal system to protect themselves and their loved ones. Since 2016, Karen has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star. This designation is awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys under the age of 40 in each state. The Rising Stars selection process takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, and a review by an independent blue-ribbon panel. In 2022, Karen received the “Excellence in the Law: Up & Coming Lawyer” award from Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. This award is given to those select lawyers who have already distinguished themselves in the field in less than ten (10) years of practice. In 2019, Karen was selected to the National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40, a professional organization that recognizes the top trial lawyers in each state. In her spare time, you can find Karen soaking up as much live music as possible or exploring the outdoors. BAR ADMISSIONSIowaMassachusettsNew HampshireOklahomaCaliforniaNebraska PREVIOUSLY ADMITTED PRO-HAC VICECaliforniaIndianaMissouriMontanaNebraskaOhioSouth Dakota EDUCATIONSuffolk University Law School– J.D. Juris DoctorBoston University– Bachelor of Science in Political Science / Psychology