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District of Columbia 2017 Jury Verdict Statistics

August 1, 2018 By Jennifer L. Rowlett

The Superior Court for the District of Columbia prepares compilations of data for jury trial verdicts in a variety of civil cases, including medical malpractice, slip-and-fall, and auto accident cases.  The 2017 totals have been released and show:

Medical Malpractice Cases: 6 jury trial verdicts: 4 for Plaintiff and 2 for Defendant.

The 2 Defense Verdicts involved what the Superior Court termed “Other” injuries with one involving a claim of permanency.

Of the Plaintiff wins, the following verdicts were awarded:

  • $494,250: Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed incompetent surgery, other injuries, and non-serious permanency of injury;
  • $75,000: Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed incompetent surgery, and non-serious permanency of injury;
  • $8,350,000: Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed incompetent surgery, and serious permanency of injury;
  • $8,000,000: Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed informed consent issues, incompetent surgery, and serious permanency of injury;

Slip-and-fall Cases: 1 jury trial verdict: 1 Defense Verdict.
Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed a “verifiable back and neck injury”

Auto Accident Cases: 31 trial verdicts: 18 for Plaintiff and 13 for Defendant.

11 of the Defense Verdicts involved what the Superior Court termed soft tissue injury and no permanency; however, two defense verdicts involved claims by the Plaintiffs of broken bones;

Of the Plaintiff wins, the following verdicts were awarded:

  • $56,533: Injury type unknown; permanency claimed;
  • $15,000: Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed verifiable back and neck injuries and permanency was claimed;
  • $1,201:  Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed soft tissue injury and permanency was claimed;
  • $219,199:  Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed soft tissue injuries, verifiable back and neck injuries, and permanency was claimed;
  • $15,000:  Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed soft tissue injuries, verifiable back and neck injuries, and permanency was not claimed;
  • $5,235:  Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed verifiable back and neck injuries, and permanency was claimed;
  • $15,000:  Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed soft tissue injuries, and permanency was not claimed;
  • $10,000: Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed soft tissue injuries, and permanency was not claimed;
  • $581,691:  Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed verifiable back and neck injuries, and permanency was claimed;
  • $5,396:  Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed soft tissue injuries, verifiable back and neck injuries, other injuries, and permanency was not claimed;
  • $12,800: Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed soft tissue injuries, and permanency was not claimed;
  • $300,000: Injury type unknown; permanency not claimed;
  • $588,003.20:  Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed verifiable back and neck injuries, and permanency was not claimed;
  • $801,799.30:  Injury type unknown; permanency claimed;
  • $4,102:  Case dealt with what the Superior Court termed soft tissue injury and no permanency was claimed;

The Superior Court’s statistics for jury trial verdicts can be found here.

While the Superior Court’s statistics do not contain a lot of detail, the listing remains a useful tool in evaluating what the juries are doing with various types of cases.  The attorneys at DeCaro Doran, with many decades of combined experience in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, can assist you with evaluating your case and providing an assessment in verdict trends in the various jurisdictions, including County and Federal Courts.