Benjamin  Cloward

Cloward Trial Lawyers
Cloward Trial Lawyers
9950 W Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89129 United States

In 2016, at the age of 37, Benjamin P. Cloward became the youngest lawyer in the history of the State of Nevada to be awarded the prestigious “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the Nevada Justice Association. That same year, he became the youngest member of the Nevada, Las Vegas Chapter of ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates), and at the time was also the youngest person in the State of Nevada to be Board Certified as a Personal Injury Specialist. He has received many additional recognitions including being AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and receiving a perfect 10.0 by AVVO.com. He has been featured in several magazines in Nevada for his accomplishments and hard work.

Just recently, in February of 2020, Ben obtained a $38 million dollar jury verdict, which is believed to be the largest ever negligent security for wrongful death in the State of Nevada and was the 2nd largest wrongful death verdict in the entire United States in 2020. Other verdicts Ben has obtained include a $15 million dollar jury verdict in 2016 on behalf of a family whose disabled son Harvey was allowed to choke to death on a paratransit bus. That verdict was upheld in a unanimous decision after four years of contentious appellate litigation with the final judgment ballooning to nearly $21 million dollars. The defense in that case never formally offered a single penny. After obtaining the verdict, Ben continued working on the safety issue that led to Harvey’s death and with the help of many other people got “Harvey’s Law” passed in Nevada in 2017, which required certain training for all paratransit bus drivers to ensure others were protected. In 2016, Ben also obtained a $12.9 million dollar jury verdict for a family whose life had been altered by a drunk driver that injured the mother and killed the daughter. He also obtained a $10 million dollar settlement for a client who was significantly injured from a fall which resulted in a moderate brain injury. Ben has obtained multiple soft-tissue, low visible property damage jury verdicts including a $2.98 million dollar jury verdict in 2018, a $1,075,000 verdict in 2014 and several 6 figure verdicts where Ben obtained verdicts over 180 times greater than the defense offers prior to trial. Other notable results on behalf of his clients include a $27.5 million settlement against Greyhound Lines Inc. and a $20 million dollar settlement against Jacuzzi Luxury Bath, dba Jacuzzi, Inc. and First Street for Boomers & Beyond, Inc. Also, he recently obtained an $8 million dollar jury verdict against FedEx Ground Package Inc. In addition to obtaining significant jury verdicts, Ben has also been involved in settling over thirty cases for values ranging from $1 million to $10 million as noted above. He has tried to verdict cases in both State and Federal Court in Utah and Nevada.

Ben successfully argued the Khoury v. Seastrand, 133 Nev. Adv. Op. 52 (July 28, 2016) case which was a huge victory for all injured Nevadans because it rejected the Howell-doctrine, which allows negligent people who caused harm to get a discount when they hit responsible citizens who carried personal health insurance.

Ben is a graduate of the famed Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer’s College and believes as does Gerry that “It all begins with you . . .” Ben served on the board for a nonprofit company called the Loa Fund, which focuses on providing financial assistance to those who struggle with addiction to receive help through wilderness therapy and other addiction recovery programs. Ben believes that you can never truly understand another human until you have walked a mile in their shoes and that everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt and a chance to prove themselves. Ben was raised in Salem, Utah. As a young boy Ben earned his Eagle Scout Award and after graduation from high school, he served a volunteer two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Louisiana. He still volunteers in his church and has served in various callings.

Ben attended the University of Utah and graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He began law school at the University of Tulsa, College of Law. After his first year Ben transferred to the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he graduated in 2008. While in law school, Ben received the Outstanding Achievement Award for Teaching Law in the High School, the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Property, and was on the Dean’s List. He also served as the President of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society and as a Judicial Intern for the then-State Court Presiding Judge, Gregory K. Frizzell, who is now a Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. He also participated as a Note and Comment Editor for the Journal of Land, Resources, and Environment Law, where his Comment, Why has State v. Hutchinson Been Ignored? An Analysis of Why Utah Cities Lack Authority to Exact Water, 28 J. LAND RESOURCES & ENVTL. L. 433, was selected for publication.

Ben’s interests outside of work include spending time with his wife and two beautiful daughters. He also enjoys mule deer archery hunting, bass-fishing, camping and watching the Boston Red Sox.

EDUCATION

  • University of Utah, B.S. (2005)
  • University of Tulsa, College of Law
  • S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, J.D. (2008)
  • Outstanding Achievement Award for Teaching Law in High School
  • CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Property
  • Dean’s List
  • Judicial Intern former State Court Presiding Judge, Gregory K. Frizzell
  • President of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society

PRACTICE ADMISSIONS

  • Nevada
  • Utah

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS PUBLICATIONS

  • Why has State v. Hutchinson been ignored? An Analysis of Why Utah Cities Lack Authority to Exact Water, (28 J. Land Resources & Environment. L. 433)
  • The Last Bus Ride: Betrayal and the Legislative Process (The Warrior: Journal of the Trial Lawyers College - Winter 2020)


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