According to Nora Freeman Engstrom, a Stanford Law School professor, the verdict puts the remaining plaintiffs in a strong position going forward in the litigation.

“Often, plaintiffs fare less well in early bellwethers and gain momentum as the litigation progresses, as they have a chance to refine their arguments,” Engstrom said in an email Friday. “This makes sense as the plaintiffs keep changing. (Defendants never square off against the same plaintiff twice.)… So, the fact that Jaylynn Dean prevailed in the Arizona trial bodes well for plaintiffs in this litigation.”

It’s unusual to see a defendant try to spin an $8.5 million judgment against it as a ‘win’. You have to wonder how bad they thought it was going to be,” Engstrom said.