Jurors should put themselves in the shoes of the victim.

Today, it is a fact that lawyers hired by a large insurance company or a corporate giant represent virtually every defendant in a jury trial.  However, the jury will never hear about insurance during a jury trial.  Most jurors understand that insurance companies are in the background to pay the jury verdict after trial, but some jurors believe that a jury verdict will have to be paid by the defendant and return smaller jury verdicts based upon this unfair bias.

What makes matters worse is that some jurors believe that a large jury verdict might affect their own insurance rates, and they – either consciously or subconsciously – return verdicts of less than the full-measure of damages, based upon these mistaken beliefs.  These myths have been fueled for decades by news sources developed by the insurance and corporate giants, who are often the defendants in civil lawsuits, to bias juries in their favor.

As a result, we feel strongly that every juror should place themselves in the injured party’s shoes and award a full-measure of damages without regard for the defendant’s ability to pay the verdict.  Returning a jury verdict for less than a full-measure of damages is a denial of justice and a win for the insurance industry.  After all, insurance companies make record profits year-in and year-out, despite jury verdicts in our civil justice system.

Struggling through something similar? We can help. Contact us at Coffey McPharlin and schedule a free consultation at your earliest convenience!