Representative Cases/Case Results

In a June 2008 State Court prosecution in Eagle, Colorado Mr. Jurdem joined with well known Denver criminal defense attorney Lisa Wayne in defending a New Jersey man wrongly accused of Sexual Assault on a Child (Position of Trust) and facing a mandatory imprisonment for no less than 10 years to life. Their client was acquitted and went home to New Jersey with his family.

In October 2007 Mr. Jurdem gained the jury trial acquittal of a Denver man wrongly charged as a sex offender with indecent exposure in Denver County Court.

In a July 2007 state court prosecution in Denver District Court Mr. Jurdem again joined with attorney Lisa Wayne in defending a Denver minister wrongly accused of Sexual Assault on a Child (Possession of Trust) and facing a mandatory sentence to prison of no less than 10 years to life. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and was declared deadlocked. Thereafter, this client received probation as a result of a favorable plea agreement.

In August 2006 returned a verdict in excess of $210,000 in favor of Mr. Jurdem's clients. Prior to trial the defendant's top offer was only $35,000 an amount Mr. Jurdem felt insufficient to compensate his client for the shoulder injury she received in the automobile collision caused by defendant's negligence.

On May 12, 2006, an Arapahoe County jury returned a verdict worth approximately $625,000 in favor of Mr. Jurdem's client. Mr. Jurdem's client was injured in an automobile collision when the defendant Driver failed to yield the right of way and struck the vehicle plaintiff was driving. Plaintiff claimed that a pre existing benign cyst in her spinal area became symptomatic and was causing pain as a result of the collision. When the cyst was surgically removed her pain continued. Immediately prior to trial the defendant offered to settle for $55,000.

In July 2006, Mr. Jurdem defended a young woman charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in the United States District Court in Denver. Mr. Jurdem's client was facing no less than 10 years to life imprisonment if convicted of this offense. Despite testimony from four alleged eye witnesses and law enforcement videotape showing Mr. Jurdem's client involved in a cocaine transaction, the Federal Court jury was unable to reach a verdict and deadlocked. Thereafter, Mr. Jurdem was able to achieve a favorable plea agreement in which his client was released from custody shortly after trial.

Some of Mr. Jurdem's past results include:

• Bad faith insurance case verdict
• Automobile accident case results
• Products liability/defective products verdicts
• Premises liability case results
• Toxic tort judgments and settlement
• Criminal defense case results
• Breach of contract settlement
• Medical malpractice award
• Negligence settlement

Bad Faith Insurance Case Verdict 

In Gaudet v. USAA Casualty Insurance Company, Mr. Jurdem represented a young woman and brought bad faith and breach of contract claims against her automobile insurance carrier for failure to pay reasonable and necessary benefits under Colorado's prior no-fault law. A substantial verdict was returned in favor of Ms. Gaudet and against the insurance company.

Automobile Accident Case Results

In Belmarez v. Hart, an Adams County Jury on March 18, 2004 returned a verdict worth in excess of $475,000, in favor of attorney Jurdem's clients, the Belmarez family. Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance had offered only $12,500 to settle the claim brought by the family following a collision with the Defendant's horse on a state highway. The jury found that the defendant was negligent in failing to keep the horse out of the roadway.

In Mohrman v. Miller Brands, Scott Jurdem and former partner Joe Branney represented a motorcyclist that had sustained a brain injury and other serious injuries when a Miller beer truck unlawfully took the right of way at an intersection in Denver, Colorado. A Denver jury awarded a verdict in excess of $2,000,000.00.

In Anderson v. Borquez Excavating, returned a verdict in the amount of $250,000.00 for Scott Jurdem's client that had been injured in a low speed rear end automobile collision. The case was subsequently settled for a higher amount taking into account litigation expenses, interest and other considerations.

In Wiese v. Linkous and Parker, a Boulder County jury on August 23, 2006, returned a verdict worth approximately $215,000.00 in favor of Mr. Jurdem's clients, the Wiese family. The State Farm Insurance Company had offered $31,500.00 to settle the claim in response to Mr. Jurdem's $50,000.00 policy limits demand. State Farm, as insurer of the defendant driver that caused the collision paid out more than four times the insurance policy limits as a result of the jury's verdict following it's failure to accept Mr. Jurdem's $50,000.00 insurance policy limits demand. State Farm paid the full value of the verdict and did not pursue an appeal.

In Wattnem v. Burman, an Arapahoe County jury on May 12, 2006, returned a verdict worth in excess of $619,733.30 in favor of Mr. Jurdem's client, Ms. Wattnem. The State Farm Insurance Company had offered only $55,000.00 prior to trial to settle the claim brought by Mr. Jurdem's client following an automobile collision caused by the defendant Mr. Burman. State Farm paid the full value of the verdict and did not pursue an appeal.

Products Liability/Defective Products Verdicts

In Pinter v. Krause, Inc., Scott Jurdem represented a man that had been injured after purchasing a ladder from Defendant for use in his business. When Mr. Pinter was on the ladder, the locking bolt on the right side of the middle hinge sheared off, throwing him to the ground. Defendant Krause, Inc. did not think the case had much value and made a final offer to settle in the amount of $5,000.00. A verdict was returned in the case in favor of Mr. Jurdem's client in the amount of $896,796.03 (including interest).

In Sieger v. Thomas Built Busses, attorney Jurdem and partner Joe Branney represented an 11 year old boy that had received severe facial injuries after being ejected through a defectively designed emergency exit door during a rollover accident involving the Defendant's bus. The jury returned a verdict of $17.1 million dollars in the boy's favor after a 10 day trial.

Premises Liability Case Results

In Dunning v. Pioneer General Insurance Company, Mr. Dunning fell from a second floor balcony onto concrete below when a 30 year old hand railing gave way. Defendant Pioneer General initially offered only $5,000.00 to settle the case. A verdict was returned in favor of lawyer Jurdem's client in the amount of $1,070,000.00 plus statutory interest.

In Smith v. Lynch Material Handling Company, lawyer Jurdem, along with partners Joe Branney and Neil Hillyard, represented a man whose arm had been severely cut by an extremely sharp and unprotected guardrail on a conveyor line at a beverage distribution plant. The jury awarded approximately $1.5 million dollars.

Toxic Tort Judgments and Settlement

Mr. Jurdem served as lead counsel representing residents of a Boulder neighborhood in which groundwater had become contaminated as the result of a circuit board manufacturer releasing toxic waste into its septic system. In a trial of 10 representative neighbors, a $4.1 million dollar verdict was returned in favor of Mr. Jurdem's clients. Later, judgment in excess of $13,000,000.00 was entered in favor of the entire homeowner group.

Scott Jurdem, Mr. Branney and other lawyers represented 21 Fort Collins families that experienced toxic contamination as the result of leaking underground gasoline tanks at a Diamond Shamrock station. The case settled successfully for a confidential amount after three weeks of trial.

In Writer v. Texaco, lawyer Jurdem and former partner Joe Branney represented the Writer Corporation in its claim against Texaco resulting from leaking underground gasoline storage tanks at a service station which had contaminated property Writer owned during the construction of its Riverfront Festival project. The judgment entered by the Court on the jury verdict in favor of Mr. Jurdem's clients, exceeded $1,000,000.00.

Criminal Defense Case Results

In a June 2008 State Court prosecution in Eagle, Colorado Mr. Jurdem joined with well known Denver criminal defense attorney Lisa Wayne in defending a New Jersey man wrongly accused of Sexual Assault on a Child (Position of Trust) and facing a mandatory imprisonment for no less than 10 years to life. Their client was acquitted and went home to New Jersey with his family.

In October 2007 Mr. Jurdem gained the jury trial acquittal of a Denver man wrongly charged as a sex offender with indecent exposure in Denver County Court.

In a July 2007 state court prosecution in Denver District Court Mr. Jurdem again joined with attorney Lisa Wayne in defending a Denver minister wrongly accused of Sexual Assault on a Child (Possession of Trust) and facing a mandatory sentence to prison of no less than 10 years to life. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and was declared deadlocked. Thereafter, this client received probation as a result of a favorable plea agreement.

In United States v. Cruthers, a criminal case tried in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado in June and July 2006, the Government failed in its effort to convict Mr. Jurdem's client on a charge of conspiracy to distribute large quantities of cocaine base. The jury deadlocked after four days of deliberations, despite the testimony of four cooperating Government alleged eyewitnesses and a videotape allegedly implicating Mr. Jurdem's client in the conspiracy.

In United States v. Michael Washington, a major criminal drug prosecution in the United States District Court, Scott Jurdem's client, an alleged drug courier, was stopped in Denver International Airport holding a suitcase with in excess of 28 pounds of crack cocaine. The jury returned a verdict and acquitted Mr. Jurdem's client on all charges. Mr. Washington had been facing a life sentence.

United States v. Holyfield involved a federal criminal prosecution charging attorney Jurdem's and co-counsel Lisa Wayne's client with a murder in the course of a continuing criminal enterprise and also contained allegations that Mr. Holyfield was involved in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Mr. Holyfield was found not guilty and cleared of all charges in the murder/continuing criminal enterprise. He was convicted on lesser drug charges. We have been unable to identify any other Defendant that has been completely acquitted of homicide/criminal enterprise charges in the United States District Court in Denver, Colorado.

Breach of Contract Settlement

In Seckman v. McSparran, et al., Mr. Jurdem served as lead counsel for the four named Defendants in a complex commercial case. The Plaintiff had charged Mr. Jurdem's clients with breaching fiduciary duties and violating an employment contract and was seeking in excess of $20,000,000.00. During trial, Mr. Jurdem's clients were vindicated by a favorable settlement for a confidential amount.

Medical Malpractice Award

In Lull v. Columbia-Health One d/b/a St. Luke's Medical Center, Scott Jurdem, along with co-counsel M. Susan Kudla, represented the wife of a 69 year old man with cerebral palsy that had died as the result of improper care during a hospitalization. The jury returned a substantial verdict in favor of the Plaintiff.

Negligence Settlement

In Reed v. William Street Center, Mr. Jurdem represented a mother and three children whose father had been murdered by an escapee from a Denver halfway house. Despite initially denying liability, the case settled for $1,000,000.00 after a one week jury trial.

Mr. Jurdem has successfully represented many other clients in jury trials involving all types of personal injuries, automobile accidents, products liability, insurance bad faith, commercial and environmental litigation. Mr. Jurdem also has an active criminal defense practice, defending clients charged with everything from driving while under the influence of alcohol through the most serious criminal charges.  

Jurdem, LLC

Telephone: 303-402-6717
Facsimile: 303-402-6718
E-mail

Boulder Office:	Denver Office:
1711 Pearl Street, Suite 302	950 17th Street, Suite 1800
Boulder, Colorado 80302	Denver, Colorado 80202

At Jurdem, LLC, we have offices in Boulder and Denver, Colorado. We also represent clients in Jefferson County Arapahoe County, Adams County, Douglas County, Larimer County (Fort Collins), El Paso County (Colorado Springs), Summit County , Eagle County, CO., Front Range and Western Slope.