Bill Smith

Idaho has long carried a reputation as a conservative state for plaintiffs' personal injury verdicts. That reputation deserves reexamination — and this session will do exactly that.

Drawing on a survey of significant Idaho jury verdicts from 2022 through early 2026, this one-hour CLE examines what Idaho juries are actually awarding in non-economic damages across personal injury, medical malpractice, defamation, and civil rights cases. Attendees will gain a clear-eyed understanding of the statutory framework governing non-economic and punitive damages under Idaho Code §§ 6-1603 and 6-1604 — including the damages cap, its exceptions, and the strategic tools available to maximize client recovery — such as UIM claims, requests for admissions, and prejudgment interest.

The second half of the session delivers a candid retrospective of four jury trials tried by Smith Horras P.A. between January 2023 and March 2026: Dempsey v. Compton, McCrady v. Ancheta, Peters v. Austin, and Salak v. Trinity Health Corp. Bill Smith shares the lessons learned from each — with candor — on his views on what works, what doesn't, and what makes a case worth trying in Idaho’s trial landscape.

Attendees will leave with a framework for case evaluation, a practical understanding of Idaho's damages landscape, and trial-tested strategies for presenting compelling non-economic damages evidence to Idaho juries.