Am I Going to Get $1,000,000 At Trial?
I was hurt in a car wreck and I think I have a really good case. I think I should get $1,000,000 - it seems like people get that much and more and they aren't hurt as bad as I am. Will I get $1,000,000 in my case?
There is no way that I can answer that without having a whole lot more information that you have shared to date.
Million dollar verdicts are rarer than you might think. When they occur, they tend to hit the newspaper, but the statistics tell us they are quite rare in Tennessee.
Shannon Ragland has a publication called the Tennessee Jury Verdict Reporter. A recent report published by Shannon indicates that there have been 84 jury verdicts over $1,000,000 in Tennessee in the last six years. During that same period, there have been 1769 jury trials in civil cases. Thus, a 1,000,000 jury verdict happened in less than 5% of all trials.
In automobile wreck cases the number of $1,000,000 verdicts is quite small. In the last six years there have been only 8 such verdicts in 957 jury trials.
Let me add that these numbers represent verdicts, not settlements. There are certainly additional cases that have been settled for more than $1,000,000. However, for every case that is settled for over $1,000,000 my guess is that there are 50 or more that are settled for less.
Statistics have very little to do with the value of your case. Each case stands on its own facts. But, these numbers indicate it would be a mistake to assume that million dollar verdicts are a regular occurrence in Tennessee because the fact of the matter is they do not.
An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you determine a reasonable value for your case.
