Verdict and Settlement Values

 

The value of a personal injury case in Pennsylvania depends largely on four (4) things:

1. The county where the case resides.  Western PA verdicts tend to be much lower than in Eastern PA, such as Philadelphia and the surrounding counties.  That said, there are always exceptions, referenced below.
2. The type of injury: whether it involved a surgery or disfiguration.  If the victim of a motor vehicle accident is bound by limited tort, he must demonstrate a serious impairment, show disfigurement, or prove another exception to limited tort.  
3. The effect of the accident on the victim’s life.  Often, the largest — and easiest to quantify — is a claim for lost wages or lost earning capacity.  A lost wage claim is not only objective, but it’s something to which even the most conservative juror can relate.  Lost wages rob the victim of not only the ability to make “ends meet,” but it can rob a person of his identity.  Many value themselves on their ability to work.  For this reason, most of the seven figure verdicts in PA involve some kind of lost wage claim, and 
4. Whether the defendant is a corporation perceived to have deep pockets and also unlikely to change its ways, absent a significant verdict, is the often successful argument to set the stage for a massive award.    

All that said, below particular settlements and verdicts to put this in perspective:

 

Especially Low Awards / Settlements 

January 9, 2024 Delaware County (Eastern Pennsylvania): $6,000 verdict.  In Wood v. Falcone, the Plaintiff alleged that a motor vehicle accident caused her to sustain cervical, thoracic and lumbar strains and sprains. But most seriously, she further alleged her shoulder ligament tear resulted from the accident.  However, the defense argued that a delay of treatment of the shoulder injury, such as subsequent events, could have caused the tear. The jury awarded the Plaintiff only $6,000, finding insufficient evidence to show causation as to the shoulder injury.   This has implications for cases involving any kind of injuries, from a motor vehicle or otherwise.  

In a case brought by Eric Brister, involving his claim for injuries from a car accident, he sought $1,719,673.42 in future medical expenses.  He also sought  damages for his past and future pain and suffering.  However, the jury only awarded $500,000.  But how?  If the jury agreed the the Defendant’s roadway negligence caused Plaintiff’s injuries, why not also award money for all the future medical expenses?  This was as an apparent compromise verdict.  

 

Particularly High Awards

$977 Million Dollars