Podcast Summary: Personal Injury Mastermind w/ Chris Dreyer

Episode 393: Exposing Hidden Case Value w/ Meredith Moore, Rainwater, Holt & Sexton

Release Date: February 10, 2026
Host: Chris Dreyer (Rankings.io)
Guest: Meredith Moore (Rainwater, Holt & Sexton)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the strategies Rainwater, Holt & Sexton (Arkansas's largest personal injury firm) uses to uncover hidden value in personal injury (PI) cases—particularly those other firms might overlook, settle for low value, or even decline. Guest Meredith Moore shares actionable insights on maximizing case value, building strong intake systems, strengthening community connections, and developing attorneys who consistently achieve high settlements and verdicts in challenging, often sensitive, case types like sexual assault and DUI.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Uncovering Hidden Value in Overlooked Case Types

• Firm Background: Rainwater, Holt & Sexton employs over 40 attorneys and 200 staff, having recovered over $1 billion for clients.
• Missed Opportunities: Leadership recognized they weren't getting maximal value for DWI, sexual assault, and punitive exposure cases.
• Action Taken: Created a targeted initiative—Meredith and a select group were tasked to "go get policy limits, make whatever arguments you need to make, do what you gotta do, document it and report back."
  • Result: Meredith successfully obtained policy limits for every case in her batch.

    “Within that group of lawyers, I got them all done. I got through that list and got policy limits very quickly for all of them.” — Meredith Moore [00:55]

2. Illustrative Case Study: Civil Liability in Institutional Settings

• Recent Verdict: Meredith details a victory in a sexual assault case at Bridgeway, a behavioral health facility:
  • 12-year-old client was sexually assaulted after admission.
  • Firm pursued a negligence case against a large institutional defendant and won a $4 million jury verdict.
  • Emphasizes the “profit over people” systemic issue in such facilities.

    “It’s the typical profit over people, patient safety scenario. And so, yeah, we were very pleased to get that outcome for our client.” — Meredith Moore [02:53]

3. Marketing & Community Impact

• Brand Positioning: Rainwater, Holt & Sexton builds its reputation not just on advertising, but via “standing up for the most vulnerable.”
• Community Trust: Referrals for sensitive cases come via advocacy groups and government entities, not ads. Authenticity and demonstrated care are critical for credibility.
• Educational Outreach: Meredith educates community organizations so they know how and when to refer potential victims for legal help.

  “Advocacy groups or local government entities…need to feel like we’re not just in it for the money because it’s the most vulnerable, arguably the most vulnerable population you’re dealing with.” — Meredith Moore [04:30]

4. Intake Process—Identifying Valuable Complex Cases

• Challenges: Intake staff must distinguish between “routine” accident claims and hidden punitive opportunity (DWI, assault, etc.).
• Best Practices: Regularly educate intake teams, provide direct access to experts for case evaluation, and encourage erring on side of further inquiry.

  “I try to get [intake staff] to ask the right questions, but always err on the side of getting me on the phone or setting up a time for me to talk to the client myself.” — Meredith Moore [08:41]

5. Talent Development and Attorney Assignment

• Grit as a Differentiator: The firm cultivates attorneys with a “bulldog mentality” for cases needing hard litigation. Grit is learned through opportunity and challenge.
• Identifying Trial Lawyers: Leadership observes who consistently “bites on and doesn’t let go,” trusting them with high-value, high-pressure cases.
• Niche Department Creation: Attorneys with expertise and drive are empowered to lead practice areas, proving out new approaches to case types that can be undervalued by the industry.

  “Mike and Bob brought it out in me and said, it’s just in you. It’s just something that you can’t let go.” — Meredith Moore [11:25]
  “If you’ve got somebody at your firm or yourself, and you’re just interested in a type of case or you know you have somebody that can do it, let them run with it and prove it to you.” — Meredith Moore [15:25]

6. Expanding Referral & Co-Counsel Opportunities

• Recognizing Overlooked Negligence: Many “criminal” or med-mal looking calls are actually civil claims ripe for punitive damages or high verdicts.
• Advice to Other Firms: Ask more questions about injury context and vulnerabilities, especially in institutional or child-involved cases.

  “If you’ve ever got a child involved in anything and you’re getting a phone call and it’s not a car wreck, you know, you’ve got to be looking for some type of negligence, some type of abuse that might be going on.” — Meredith Moore [16:52]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Attorney Grit:

  “I think a good trial lawyer has to be somebody that just has a bit of a bulldog mentality...if you don't have that grit, that you’re just going to bite on and not let go if you feel like it’s right, it’s not personal—it’s just not right for everybody." — Meredith Moore [10:53]

• On Referrals & Community Reputation:

  "I think our firm…really see[s] it as a duty of ours as personal injury lawyers in our state to protect our community...we are the lawyers that are going to stand up for this kind of thing.” — Meredith Moore [04:15]

• On Expanding Case Awareness:

  "It's really a matter of awareness and kind of figuring out what connection you have out there, whether it's through a nonprofit, church, government entity…[and] educating them about, hey, these cases exist and you can really, really help somebody out if you're asking the right questions.” — Meredith Moore [17:35]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 00:55: The genesis of expanding DWI and punitive damages case approach
• 01:35 – 03:15: Breakdown of a $4M jury verdict in a behavioral facility sexual assault case
• 03:39 – 05:52: Marketing and the importance of authentic community relationships in high-stakes PI work
• 07:46 – 08:41: Challenges and best practices in intake for identifying complex, valuable cases
• 10:53 – 12:20: Traits of effective trial lawyers; how talent is recognized and cultivated in the firm
• 14:14 – 15:25: Leadership strategies for empowering lawyers to develop niche practices
• 16:36 – 17:35: How firms can spot and refer “hidden” high-value cases outside their usual scope

Contact Information

• Direct number (Meredith Moore): 501-485-6179
• Email: moore@rainfirm.com

Takeaways

• Hidden Value Is Everywhere: Many firms miss high-value cases in DWI, sexual assault, and institutional abuse by failing to look beneath the surface or to connect criminal facts to civil liability.
• Community Trust Wins Big Cases: Building trust with advocacy and public agencies yields complex, high-stake referrals that advertising can’t buy.
• Attorney Grit Drives Outcomes: Firms should cultivate, test, and empower lawyers with true drive—they’re the ones who turn overlooked cases into policy limits and high jury verdicts.
• Intentional Intake & Education: Regular training of intake and legal staff to spot key signals in unconventional fact patterns is vital.
• Ask More Questions: What looks like a dismissed criminal or medical issue may hide a civil claim. Effective questioning unlocks these opportunities.

For PI firms aiming to build a lasting, reputation-driven business—as well as for professionals eager to spot, refer, or work up the next overlooked seven-figure case—this episode offers a valuable playbook straight from the field.