Media

As ‘Nuclear’ Verdicts Rise in New York, Report Says More ‘Thermonuclear’ Awards Are on Horizon

What You Need to Know

• Corporate nuclear verdicts clustered in workplace negligence, premises liability and construction.
• The study said that nationally, the country’s median nuclear verdicts against corporate defendants increased from $21.5 million in 2020 to $41.1 million in 2022.
• Skeptics said the document reflected the interests of insurance companies.

Corporate Defendants Need Better Communications During Litigation

Nuclear verdicts against corporations, with awards that can surpass $10 million, are rising sharply with no end in sight. Given the financial stake, legal strategists easily lose sight of an equally damaging outcome of these cases: a company’s long-term reputation.

As communicators, we operate in the court of public opinion every day and understand the consequences of negative media coverage that influences perceptions. That’s why, when high-profile legal challenges arise, communications leaders must be included in the conversation—to ensure that legal strategies integrate plans to shape opinion outside the courtroom before, during, and after a trial.

Soaring Nuclear Verdicts Trucking 

A Growing Threat To The Industry In 2023

The trucking industry has experienced a dramatic surge in nuclear verdicts trucking judgments across the economy, causing significant concern for stakeholders. This increase in verdicts is putting immense pressure on transportation companies, leading to potential impacts on transportation costs that could ripple down the supply chain.

Trucking Leads Growth in Nuclear Verdicts 

Awards Increased Dramatically From 2020 to 2022

The trucking industry has seen a spike in nuclear verdict judgments across the economy.

“We are seeing a reopening of the courts post-COVID, and it’s resulting in a lot of activity from the plaintiffs’ bar coming after the transportation industry,” said Todd Reiser, senior vice president at insurance brokerage provider Lockton Cos.“The plaintiffs’ bar is a well-funded, well-organized, aggressive force out there right now. They’re absolutely coming after transportation, and coming after what they view as a deep pocket.”

Louisiana ranks 5th for jury verdicts against corporations exceeding $10 million, study finds 

Despite representing only 1.5% of the U.S. population, Louisiana ranked fifth among the states in a new study that catalogs the increasing number of jury verdicts against corporations that exceed $10 million.

Corporate Court Verdicts Go ‘Thermonuclear’ 

Nuclear corporate court verdicts are on the rise, according to a report by New York-based Marathon Strategies. It found that verdicts of more than $10M grew 55 percent during the decade following the Great Recession.

Texas a top state for ‘thermonuclear verdicts,’ according to report 

AUSTIN – Juries in Texas’ state and federal courts issued multi-million-dollar verdicts against corporations that have totaled $41,308,718,699 since 2009, making Texas one of the top states for thermonuclear verdicts, according to a new report by Marathon Strategies. 

Report: Corporate jury awards in Illinois are increasing at an alarming rate

(The Center Square) – A new report shows that Illinois is a top state for so-called “thermonuclear verdicts.”  

Marathon Strategies found that juries in Illinois state and federal courts issued multi-million dollar verdicts against corporations that have totaled $3.3 billion since the Great Recession of 2009.