Those in Illinois who suffer an injury or lose a loved one due to someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing have every right to seek compensation. Whether because of medical malpractice or some other preventable tragedy, victims can pursue civil actions against those believed responsible for their suffering, and lawsuits involving medical malpractice and other personal injury cases are filed throughout the state frequently. According to reports, Illinois ranks 6th among states for large jury awards.
Nuclear awards
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform conducted a study that looked at jury verdicts of more than 1,400 personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Their analysis found that juries in Illinois returned 75 verdicts that qualified as so-called “nuclear verdicts.” These are verdicts of $10 million or more, and juries in Illinois awarded more than $3 billion over the 10-year period of the study’s focus.
Juries often deliver large awards for cases involving medical malpractice, making up around 40% of nuclear awards. Next are product liability cases at just over 17%, with premises liability making up around 16%. Auto accidents received nearly 11% of nuclear awards, and the national average is just under 23%. Incidentally, California, New York and Florida were at the top of the list, with a combined total of 575 verdicts of $10 million or more.
Getting maximum compensation
The report mentioned that an issue surrounding the very large verdicts comes from aggressive advertising and even misleading marketing tactics that lawyers use to gain clients. Also, some suggest reforms are needed to prohibit attorneys from manipulating juries to return a large verdict through so-called anchoring tactics and other means. Furthermore, even if a client received a large award, the actual money they get can be affected by various factors, including appeals of the ruling from the defense. Anyone injured in Illinois through someone else’s wrongful actions can consult with an experienced personal injury attorney in the state to help them understand their options and manage their expectations for the awards they may receive.