Today, we are looking at trial and verdict information for Chattanooga/Hamilton County, which is the Eleventh Judicial District. The Administrative Office of the Courts’ report reveals 711 tort lawsuits (claims for personal injury or wrongful death) were filed in Chattanooga during the last fiscal year and Chattanooga courts disposed of 693 tort cases. During the last year, 37 cases went to trial in Chattanooga with 21 jury trials and 16 bench or judge trials. Of the 37 cases went that actually went to trial, only 10 resulted in the injured party receiving any money. So in more than 2/3 of the trials, the injured party received nothing.
And in the cases the injured party actually won, the verdict news is similarly bleak. Not a single case resulted in a verdict of $100,000.00 or more. The total dollars awarded for all ten cases was $303,648.00 so the average award in each case was $30.365.00. Of course, we do not know the facts of each one of those cases but we do know this: there is a reason they call it a trial. It is hard, emotionally-draining and exhausting for the parties and their attorneys. And most injured people who go through a trial expect their recovery to be more than that, and it should be if they have serious injuries.
We really can not emphasize enough how important it is for you to select an experienced and well-qualified lawyer. Of course, we hope you hire us and we believe our awards and client testimonials speak for themselves. But even if you do not hire us, use this information sheet to help you find a skilled lawyer who can help maximize your recovery. If you would like to schedule a free and no-obligation consultation, simply fill out this form or call us anytime at 615-742-4880 or toll-free at 866-812-8787. We handle all personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency basis so we only get paid if we recover money for you.