Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Florida Civil Jury Trials Declining According to Florida Bar Special Committee Report

One of the most frequents concerns among our clients are the amount of damages that could be awarded in their Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawsuit. The answer to this question is that no attorney can say for certain how much you a jury could award you for the injuries you sustained in an accident. The determination of whether or not to award any damages is a matter for the jury. However, usually the types of damages awarded are and in some cases punitive. Punitive damages are those damages which he jury awards a person is to punish a person for their wrongful conduct and to prevent this individual from future tortious acts.

Further, it is estimated that approximately 90 percent of the  personal injury lawsuits end up going to trial. And according to a study conducted by a committee of the Florida Bar, civil jury trials are decreasing across the country, including in the state of Florida. The Florida Bar Special Committee to Study the Decline in Jury Trial was created in the year 2010 to examine the decline in jury trials in the state. Based upon research of the Office of State Court Administrator, statistics revealed that during the fiscal year, 1986-1987, there were a total of 155,407 total civil cases which were filed in the Florida Circuit Courts, and the number of disposition of trials by jury amounted to 2,413 or 1.6% of the total Court dispositions. However during fiscal year 2009 – 2010, there were a total of 401,463 Civil Court dispositions, but only 879 were disposed of by jury trial, or 0.2%.

Why is there a decline in the number of civil jury trials? According to the study, there are a number of factors which have contributed to this decline including alternative dispute resolutions, the time it takes to take a case to trial and settlement agreements. But, our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys are very familiar with the Florida civil litigation process and conduct every phase of the litigation procedure with due diligence. In addition, once it becomes established that you have a valid legal claim, we will gather the evidence, complete a thorough factual investigation, or subpoena witnesses and collect any information in proving your claim. We only will discuss entering into a settlement agreement with you when the circumstances indicate that this may be in your best interest, and in some situations this may be the best solution in resolving your legal claim.

However, despite the decline in the number of jury trials in Florida, you should consult with one of our firm’s Fort Lauderdale accident injury lawyers if you have been injured in an automobile accident, medical malpractice, slip-and-fall, or any accident in which you or a loved one sustained a personal injury. Depending upon the facts of your case, it is a possibility your lawsuit could result in a jury verdict. Nevertheless, this is a matter in which your attorney will discuss with you and advise you of the best legal alternative in disposing of your case.
See Our Related Blog Posts:


1 comment:

  1. Your articles regarding civil law are always very helpful and I enjoy reading them. You must be an important part of Florida legal community. If you can recommend good lawyers, they can submit their contacts for free to the Attorney Directory on Attorney Online. I invite there only the best lawyers, for example look at the category with Florida civil attorneys. Do you know other people who can be listed there?

    ReplyDelete