As I mentioned in last Tuesday’s post, Shannon Ragland of the Tennessee Jury Verdict Reporter has graciously agreed to permit me to share some of the information he has gathered concerning jury trials in Tennessee.
This multi-part series will discuss some of the data contained in Shannon’s 359-page report. You can buy the report yourself for $175.00. It is well worth the money. Click here to buy the report. The same link will permit you to order Shannon’s monthly newsletter.
Today we look at wrongful death cases. Total trials in Tennessee in 2009? Just 14. Only three verdicts were returned for the plaintiff and eleven came in for the defense. Seven of those trials were in the medical malpractice area, and six of those were won by the defense. The average verdict in the three successful cases was a little over $2.4 million.
The average death verdict over the last five years (compensatory damages only) was just under $2.9 million. The average for the three successful elderly plaintiffs was $1.3 million.