National Report (March 2001)
Thursday, March 15th, 2001 Auto Fraud Liability Litigation PropertyJury Awards Rise As Lawsuits Decline Despite a decrease in the number of product liability lawsuits, the median award in those cases has more than tripled since 1993, according to a recent study by Jury Verdict Research, a nonpartisan group based in Horsham, Pa. that tracks cases across several states. After remaining fairly constant for years, jury awards to consumers suing over defective products are rising sharply in many industries, especially in the last three years, according to the study. Since 1997, median product liability awards have more than doubled, from $150,000 to $241,703. The figure rose by 44 percent in 1999, alone. At the same time, the number of product liability cases dropped from 32,856 in 1997 to 14,428 in 2000, according to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
