What is the average jury verdict in car wreck cases in Tennessee?
I can give you that number, but it is meaningless. Why do I say that? Assume there were just two car wreck verdicts in Tennessee in 2009. One was a case where the person who filed suit had no treatment in the emergency room, $3000 in chiropractic treatment, and a history of prior neck and back pain. Assume that the verdict in that case was $3500. Assume the other person who filed a lawsuit received a permanent, life-altering brain injury. Assume this person has, $1,000,000 in medical bills, $14,000,000 in future medical bills, $2,000,000 in lost wages, and will live another 60 years in a wheelchair totally dependent others. Assume that the jury verdict in that case is $70,000,000. Given those two cases, the average verdict is just under $35,000,000. What does that tell you about the value of your case? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Obviously, my example is a very simple one, but the point remains the same: average verdicts provide very little information about the value of any particula
