Lance Lourie of Watkins, Lourie, Roll & Chance in Atlanta told the Daily Report he has been trying civil cases for more than 36 years, including for medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and truck wrecks, and never needed an entomology expert—until now.

But this case was about ants, and they drove a $2.8 million verdict in Gwinnett County State Court June 1 following a seven-day trial before Judge Ronda Colvin Leary.