Case Value – The Value of Personal Injury Cases: A Jurisdictional Comparision
October 10, 2011
I found this post I had put up back in 2007 about a jurisdictional analysis of the value of personal injury cases and find it still relevant.
Although this data is a little dated (1994-2000), I thought it was interesting for lawyers in different jurisdictions to compare verdicts:
New York ……….. $275,000
South Dakota ….. $120,913
Minnesota ………. $111,488
New Jersey …….. $104,750
Pennsylvania …… $100,000
Louisiana ……….. $ 95,000
Georgia ………….. $ 12,000
Oklahoma ………. $ 10,282
Tennessee ……… $ 10,891
Arkansas ……….. $ 10,000
North Carolina …. $ 10,000
South Carolina ….$ 10,000
National overall … $ 45,000
This data is arguably misleading because to the varying thresholds to get to a jury trial in a particular jurisdiction. If a jurisdiction allows, or even requires, jury trials for cases where the plaintiff’s lawyer is seeking, for example, over $10,000, the awards are going to be a lot lower.
In Maryland, for example, where the average verdict in personal injuries cases is around $12,000, many small claim type personal injury cases find their way to Maryland juries. This is because defense lawyers in personal injury cases in Maryland have the ability to remove a case to the Circuit Court from the District Court (if the plaintiff seeks more than $10,000 but less than $25,000). Defense lawyers often do primarily to increase the burden on Maryland personal injury lawyers in jurisdictions where juries are less favorable (counties other than Baltimore and Prince George’s). Still, I think the data is interesting because it gives personal injury attorneys some idea of the jurisdictional differences.
I’ve got a situation similar to this – tried New York Personal Injury.com but I thought their site was like, almost offensive!
Very nice.
I wonder that if it is workable.