Average car verdicts in Franklin County and the surrounding 4 counties that include Delaware, Licking, Clark, and Pickaway we have found to be extremely low and conservative. We believe that these low verdicts result from the work that our jury pool performs. They are typically in the insurance, financial, and healthcare sectors. These sectors typically are conservative.
As an example, in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, we have main offices or headquarters for Nationwide Insurance, State Auto Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Safe Auto Insurance, and Motorists/Encova Insurance. We also have headquartered in Columbus JP Morgan Chase Bank and Huntington Bank. From the healthcare industry, the Columbus area has major companies like OhioHealth, Mount Carmel Health, and Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
By the Numbers
With many of our jurors working for those companies, or having a family member or know someone who works for those companies, this pool of jurors generally evaluates claims very conservatively. What does this mean for you if you have a case in this area of Ohio? Consider the average jury verdicts from 2012-2018 from Franklin County. This sample is generally representative of the 4 surrounding counties.
In Franklin County in 2012, there were 23 jury trials with an average verdict of $12,000. In 2013, there were 15 jury trials with an average verdict of $15,143. In 2014, there were 24 jury trials with an average verdict of $12,415. In 2015, there were 13 jury trials with an average verdict of $16,734. In 2016 there were 13 jury trials with an average verdict of $17,826.83. In 2017, there were 16 jury trials with an average verdict of $15,000. In 2018, there were 9 jury trials with an average verdict of $18,380.00.
Ramifications
Because of these typically low verdicts, we always recommend Mediation to our personal injury clients. Mediation is an alternative method of resolving cases. An experienced mediator who is usually a Judge or an experienced attorney facilitates negotiations between the parties in an effort to resolve claims. Generally, 90% of our cases in litigation get resolved at a Mediation. We have found that typically the last offer that we receive at a Mediation is generally better than the average verdict that we see in Columbus or the surrounding Counties.
Car Verdict Questions?
Considering all of these points, you may wonder what it means for your individual case. The Law Office of Tom Somos, LLC is conveniently located in Columbus, and we have helped numerous clients through the years to select the optimal course of action for individual needs. If you would like a consultation, contact us today.
