MovieChat Forums > The Verdict (1982) Discussion > Galvin should have negotiated a deal.

Galvin should have negotiated a deal.

posted 4 years ago by Rolltide (964)
12 replies | jump to latest

$210,000 is $680,000 in today's money. That is an incredible sum given it was a starting offer. The check was cut and ready to go!

If Galvin could have got them to agree to $300,000 that is like $800K today and you have to take that there is no choice. Risk free with no need to go to court? Galvin's financial problems are solved and now he has money to advertise his practice.

Of course that means no story, no movie and no big emotional ending.

In reality there is no way they would have offered that much back then. $50,000 maybe.

[–] PaladinNJ (21582) 3 years ago

He didn't want a deal. He wanted a win.

[–] Rolltide (964) 3 years ago

No shit. Turning down $680k without having to do a damn thing was retarded.

[–] Redsfan001 (6174) 3 years ago

It wasn't about the money.

It was proving something to himself.

A normal lawyer would have taken the $$$.

Beaten down by life, close to being a full blown alcoholic, Galvin knew that "This is the case, there is no other." A great story of a man whose ship was going down and turned it around.

[–] Rolltide (964) 3 years ago

Why are you making this all about him? He represents clients who matter more than him. THEY are the injured party.

This is not a game. If this drunk lawyer fails and they get nothing do you care?

The church offered them over 200K back in 1980 that is a solid settlement and he can consider that a victory for himself and the people he represents.

Can't you think beyond the script?

[–] Redsfan001 (6174) 3 years ago

Galvin's gamble that the nurse was hiding something, something BIG paid off, with a judgement much larger than proposed settlement. A large law firm problably wouldn't have taken such a gamble, but a lone lawyer just might. A big win and the press that goes along with it would make a career.

...and if you want to use the hard and uncaring persons logic...Galvin's clients didn't do due diligence on chosing a lawyer. If they did, they would have learned about his personal history..so ultimately it is the clients responsibility for choosing Galvin in the first place.

cavet emptor

[–] Capnbucky (2218) 3 years ago

He plays by his own rules

[–] Rolltide (964) 3 years ago

That is nonsense.

[–] Capnbucky (2218) 3 years ago

He was out for blood money out for revenge not because of who he is but for different reasons all together he didn’t mind stopping on a few throats and hitting his briefcase along the way the rulebook went out the window at the start of the movie

[–] ccr1633 (1531) 3 years ago

Galvin was being selfish. His clients told him so. I don't think the film was pushing the opinion that he was right to reject that offer, even if he was lucky enough to win in the end. It was a lucky verdict for him because clearly the jurors ignored the judge's instruction to ignore the ex-nurse's testimony and admittance form evidence.

[–] liscarkat (18886) 2 years ago

He won, and they ended up with a lot more money, so he did do what he should have done.

[–] CalvinJarrett (469) 10 months ago

This sounds exactly like what my father, who was a very successful plaintiff's personal injury lawyer, would say!

[–] MNRebecca (771) 7 months ago

You folks seem to be forgetting Gruber. Gruber convinced Galvin that unless Galvin tried the case, the negligence and incompetence would continue.