Ali Koussan Joins Jon Marko on the Cases Gone Wild Podcast
Koussan Law managing attorney Ali H. Koussan was featured on Episode 75 of Cases Gone Wild, the podcast hosted by Detroit trial lawyer Jon Marko of Marko Law. The episode digs into one of the defining results of Ali's career: the $14.95 million jury verdict against Pontiac General Hospital in a sexual assault and institutional negligence case.
The episode's title tells you everything about why this case matters: "Hospital offered $3,000 before jury awarded nearly $15 million."
Prefer to watch on YouTube? The full episode is here.
The Case Behind the Episode
The verdict came in a case against Pontiac General Hospital arising from a sexual assault and the institutional failures that allowed it to happen. It was not a medical malpractice claim; it was a case about an institution's responsibility for what happens to the vulnerable people in its care.
Before trial, the hospital's side of the table valued the case at $3,000. Ali tried the case as the sole plaintiff's attorney, across from a defense team of four lawyers. The jury returned a verdict of $14.95 million.
The distance between those two numbers, $3,000 and nearly $15 million, is the entire argument for taking the right cases to trial. Insurance carriers and institutional defendants price cases based on whether they believe the lawyer across the table will actually try them. When a firm is known to settle everything, offers stay low. When a firm prepares every case for a jury, the numbers change.
What the Conversation Covers
In the episode, Ali and Jon talk through the case and the craft behind it, including what it takes to prepare a case of this gravity for trial, how to value a case when the defense refuses to, and what it means to stand alone at counsel table against a four-lawyer defense team with an institution's resources behind it. It is a candid conversation between two Detroit trial lawyers about the work that happens long before a jury ever hears the words "opening statement."
About the Host
Jon Marko is a Detroit trial attorney and the founder of Marko Law. His Cases Gone Wild podcast features trial lawyers walking through their most consequential cases, the verdicts, the strategy, and the human stories underneath them. We thank Jon and his team for the invitation and the conversation.
About Koussan Law
Koussan Law is a Detroit personal injury trial firm representing injured people across Michigan, with offices in Detroit and Marquette. The firm's results include the $14.95 million jury verdict against Pontiac General Hospital, a $6 million premises liability settlement, a $1 million wrongful death settlement, and arguments before the Michigan Supreme Court. Every case is handled on contingency; you pay nothing unless we recover.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by an institution that failed in its duty to protect, call (313) 800-0000, request a confidential consultation online, or use our free case calculator. Spanish and Arabic language services available.
Related Resources
- Verdicts and Settlements
- About Ali H. Koussan
- Institutional Sexual Abuse
- Detroit Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Guide
- Detroit Personal Injury Lawyer
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is fact-specific. This article is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice.
