Explore over a decade of data on Nuclear Verdicts® in personal injury litigation, compiled and analyzed by Schaefer City Technologies. This comprehensive visual overview highlights the growing financial threat posed by jury verdicts exceeding $10 million, known as Nuclear Verdicts®. Spanning from 2011 to 2024, the data illustrates not only the sharp rise in both frequency and severity of these cases, but also the pivotal trends impacting insurers, risk managers, and defense teams nationwide.
Key insights include:
- Explosive Growth in Total Awards: From $1.7B in 2011 to a staggering $15B+ in 2022.
- Surging Average Payouts: Average verdicts more than doubled, with 2022 reaching over $90 million.
- COVID’s Disruption: A marked dip in case volume during 2020 is followed by a steep climb in verdict value—a post-COVID “catch-up” effect with higher stakes.
- Acceleration Warning: Beginning in 2021 (marked with a purple X), average verdict values began to significantly outpace case volume, underscoring a critical shift in jury behavior.
Whether you’re an insurance carrier, corporate legal team, or defense counsel, this data underscores why proactive nuclear verdict detection and litigation strategy is no longer optional—it’s essential.
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