Below is a statistical analysis prepared by Verdict Reporter Inc. (St. Louis, MO) comparing the number of cases tried, rate of recovery for plaintiffs, average verdicts, and total damages awarded in St. Louis County with those in St. Louis City during 1993 and 1994. According to the Rand Institute of Civil Justice, these venues are described as follows:
St. Louis City is a medium-sized city with a quickly shrinking ethnically diverse population. Median household income in 1989: $19,000 per year.
St. Louis County is a medium-sized urban and suburban county with a slowly shrinking, predominantly white population. It includes the metropolitan area surrounding the City of St. Louis. Median household income in 1989: $38,000 per year.
| ST. LOUIS CITY (1993) |
|---|
| Total number of cases tried: 161 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 59 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 102 (Rate of recovery 63%) |
| Hung jury or unknown verdict: 0 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $288,761 excluding verdict of $78,750,000 |
| Total damages awarded: $29,164,863 excluding verdict of $78,750,000 |
| Automobile |
| Total number of cases tried: 65 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 17 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 48 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $50,317 excluding verdict of $78,750,000 |
| Total damages awarded: $2,314,598 excluding verdict of $78,750,000 |
| Premises Liability |
| Total number of cases tried: 27 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 11 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 16 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $116,363 excluding verdict of $3,000,000 |
| Total damages awarded: $1,745,453 excluding verdict of $3,000,000 |
| Medical Malpractice |
| Total number of cases tried: 23 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 11 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 12 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $530,641 |
| Total damages awarded: $6,367,694 |
| Product Liability |
| Total number of cases tried: 15 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 9 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 6 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $1,382,333 |
| Total damages awarded: $8,294,000 |
| ST. LOUIS COUNTY (1993) |
| Total number of cases tried: 200 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 81 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 96 (Rate of recovery 54%) |
| Hung jury (1); condemnation (19); declaratory judgment (3) |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $111,866 |
| Total damages awarded: $43,414,506 |
| Automobile |
| Total number of cases tried: 62 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 23 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 39 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $27,397 |
| Total damages awarded: $1,068,490 |
| Premises Liability |
| Total number of cases tried: 23 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 12 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 11 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $55,054 |
| Total damages awarded: $605,600 |
| Medical Malpractice |
| Total number of cases tried: 16 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 15 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 0 (1 case percentage of damages only trial issue) |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $0 |
| Total damages awarded: $0 |
| ST. LOUIS CITY (1994) |
| Total number of cases tried: 227 (excluding 2 condemnation cases) |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 95 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 129 (Rate of recovery 58%) |
| Hung jury (2); unknown verdict (1) |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $347,579 |
| Total damages awarded: $44,837,755 |
| Automobile |
| Total number of cases tried: 85 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 33 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 52 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $65,722 excluding verdict of $1,940,000 |
| Total damages awarded: $3,286,112 excluding verdict of $1,940,000 |
| Premises Liability |
| Total number of cases tried: 39 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 17 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 22 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $119,650 excluding verdict of $2,700,000 |
| Total damages awarded: $2,512,666 excluding verdict of $2,700,000 |
| Medical Malpractice |
| Total number of cases tried: 24 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 15 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 8 |
| Hung jury (1) |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $451,813 |
| Total damages awarded: $3,614,510 |
| Product Liability |
| Total number of cases tried: 12 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 9 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 3 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $3,166,666 |
| Total damages awarded: $9,500,000 |
| ST. LOUIS COUNTY (1994) |
| Total number of cases tried: 182 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 81 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 85 (Rate of recovery 51%) |
| Condemnation (15); will contest (1) |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $129,138 |
| Total damages awarded: $10,976,750 |
| Automobile |
| Total number of cases tried: 61 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 30 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 31 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $34,987 |
| Total damages awarded: $1,084,627 |
| Premises Liability |
| Total number of cases tried: 26 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 17 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 9 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $19,666 |
| Total damages awarded: $177,000 |
| Medical Malpractice |
| Total number of cases tried: 18 |
| Total verdicts for defendant: 12 |
| Total verdicts for plaintiff: 6 |
| Average verdict for plaintiff: $439,083 |
| Total damages awarded: $2,634,500 |
Please direct all inquiries concerning the above analysis to Verdict Reporter Inc., 2440 S. Brentwood (Suite 102), St. Louis MO 63144. Telephone (314) 962-7500, Fax (314) 962-6864, or e-mail to Beth Lewandowski at blewa@stlnet.com.
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