Jury verdicts up this year in employment cases

Mark Toth’s management-side blog, Manpower Employment Blawg, reports on findings from Jury Verdict Research. Jury verdicts in employment cases are up this year, a "whopping 60%" from $204,000 to $326,640. Discrimination verdicts rose 16%, from $208,000 to $241,119. Employers are losing 61% of the cases, their worst year this decade. Employees are winning 67% of age discrimination cases, but only 48% of disability cases. Employees do better in state courts where they win 63% of their cases, compared with 57% in federal courts.  State court verdicts were also higher, on average, than those in federal court.  The median settlement only cost $90,000 — a bargain for any employer that actually cares about the bottom line. These statistics do not reflect the high hurdles placed on getting to a jury trial — overcoming motions to dismiss and for summary judgment.