2008-09 Trial and Verdict Statistics

Trial and Verdict Statistics

Nashville tort lawyer, John Day, summarizes recent Tennessee legal data at his blog Day on Torts.

Some highlights:

• There were only 10,659 personal injury and wrongful death cases filed in 2008-09.
• Medical malpractice filings were down about 20% from a year earlier.
• Of the 11,247 case dispositions during the year, only 608 (5.4 percent) proceeded to trial.
• The four metropolitan areas (Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Shelby Counties) reported 199 cases proceeding to trial.
• Shelby County had only 48 jury trials in personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice cases during the year.  Davidson County had 65, Hamilton had 51, and Knox had 59.
• There were only 26 medical malpractice cases tried during the fiscal year.  Total monetary awards were $16,419,443.
• There were 15 judgments (jury and non-jury) of $1,000,000 and more and only 36 between $100,000 and $999,999.  Davidson County had 3 judgments over $1,000,000.  Shelby and Hamilton each had one judgment of $1,000,000 or more.  Knox had none.