Recorded Live on March 24, 2026

Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi bring their Velvet Hammer Podcast style to another important CLE. Learn why you should not take Amazon’s word for how much insurance is available in a delivery crash case. And why Amazon cannot insulate itself from liability by claiming its drivers are independent contractors.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
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📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 11: When Clients Google Their Lawsuit and It Backfires

Your first instinct after a diagnosis or a sudden injury is to open Google or an AI tool and start researching. It feels responsible. It feels like control.

Karen Koehler, Mo Hamoudi, and Mike Todd take on what that instinct can mean inside a personal injury lawsuit. What happens when defense attorneys ask for a plaintiff’s Google search history?

As more people turn to AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot to understand their situation and ask what their case is worth, a bigger question follows. If those interactions exist, who gets access to those chat logs? How might courts handle attempts to subpoena or even “depose” an AI assistant?

If you’ve ever Googled your situation while a case is pending, this one will make you think twice.

Follow the show, share it with someone who always Googles first, and leave a review with your take.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 10: To Take or Not to Take A Case

How do lawyers decide which cases to take and which ones they have to turn away?

In this episode of The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast, Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi discuss case selection inside a plaintiff law firm. Every week, people call after catastrophic injuries, medical mistakes, or the loss of a loved one. Most believe they have a case. The difficult reality is that many cannot be pursued.

Karen explains the economics of contingency litigation and why complex cases can require hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars to investigate and try. Mo walks through how lawyers evaluate credibility, evidence, and whether a claim can actually be proven in court.

And then there is the hardest part of the job. Saying no.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with someone interested in how these decisions are made, and leave a review telling us what surprised you most.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Produced by Mike Todd, Audio & Video Engineer, and Kassie Slugić, Executive Producer.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.