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Civil Justice Statistics

Summary findings | BJS publications | Related sites

Summary findings

State courts | Federal courts

State courts

Trial cases represent a small portion of all civil cases adjudicated. The 1992 Civil Justice Survey of State Courts estimated that only 3% of 762,000 tort, contract and real property cases disposed of were resolved by jury (2%) or bench trial (1%).

In 2001 in the 75 largest counties in the United States, there were an estimated 11,908 tort, contract, and real property trial cases.

During January and December 2001, juries decided 74% (8,859) of the nearly 12,000 civil trial cases disposed of by State courts of general jurisdiction in the Nation's 75 most populous counties.

-- Tort cases (93%) were more likely than contract cases (43%) or real property cases (27%) to be decided by jury trial.
-- In 53% of jury trial cases, the jury found in favor of the plaintiff and awarded in the 12 month period an estimated $3.9 billion in compensatory and punitive damages.
-- The median total award for a plaintiff winner was $37,000.
-- Juries awarded punitive damage in 6% of civil cases with a plaintiff winner.
-- The median punitive damage award to plaintiff winners was $50,000.

During 2001, judges decided 24% (2,828) of the nearly 12,000 civil trial cases disposed of by State courts of general jurisdiction in the Nation's 75 most populous counties.

-- The majority of contract cases (56%) and real property cases (69%) were disposed by bench trial.
-- Plaintiffs won in 65% of bench trials and received an estimated $369 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
-- The median total award for a plaintiff winner was $28,000.
-- Judges awarded punitive damages in 4% of civil cases with a plaintiff winner.
-- The median punitive damage award to plaintiff winners in bench trials was $46,000.

Federal courts

• Motor vehicle claims comprised 19.4% of tort trial cases, product liability 15.9%, and medical malpractice 7.4%.
• Diversity of citizenship (cases that involve citizens from different States) was the reason why Federal rather State Courts handled 72% of tort trial cases, 15.6% involved a Federal question and 12.3% involved the U.S. Government as a plaintiff (0.2%) or a defendant (12.1%).
• A jury decided 75% of tort cases brought to trial.
• Plaintiffs won in 1,249 or 45% of the tort cases decided by trial verdict.
• In 86% of the tort trial cases in which the plaintiffs won, the jury or court awarded damages. The median award was $141,000.
• In 10% of the tort trial cases with a plaintiff winner, damages awarded were over $1 million and in 8% of the cases, awards exceeded $10 million.
• The median case processing time for all tort cases from filing to termination exclusive of time on appeal was 17.3 months.

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BJS Publications

This list is in order of the most recent publication first. Additional titles are listed on other topical pages and a comprehensive list is contained on the BJS publications page. To see a full abstract of a publication with links to electronic versions of the publication, click on the title below.

Civil Trial Cases and Verdicts in Large Counties, 2001, 04/04. Presents findings on tort, contract, and real property cases disposed by jury or bench trial in 2001 in the Nation's 75 largest counties. NCJ 202803

Civil Trial Cases and Verdicts in Large Counties, 1996, 9/99. NCJ 173426

Medical Malpractice Trials and Verdicts in Large Counties, 2001, 04/04. Presents findings on medical malpractice cases disposed of by jury and bench trial in general jurisdiction courts in the Nation's 75 largest counties during 2001. NCJ 203098

Civil Rights Complaints in U.S. District Courts, 2000, 07/02 Presents selected findings about civil rights cases in U.S. district courts that dealt with employment, housing, welfare, voting, or other civil rights issues between 1990 and 2000. NCJ 193979

Civil Rights Complaints in U.S. District Courts, 1990-98, 1/00. NCJ 173427
Tables from this report have been updated through 2000.

Tort Trials and Verdicts in Large Counties, 1996, 8/00. Provides findings about tort cases disposed by jury and bench trial in general jurisdiction courts in the Nation's 75 largest counties during 1996. NCJ 179769

Contract Trials and Verdicts in Large Counties, 1996, 4/00. Presents findings on contract cases disposed by jury or bench trials in 1996 in the Nation's 75 largest counties. NCJ 179451

Federal Tort Trials and Verdicts, 1996-97, 3/99. Presents findings about 1996 and 1997 civil tort cases terminated in United States district courts by jury and bench trial. NCJ 172855

Federal Tort Trials and Verdicts, 1994-95, 12/97 NCJ 165810

Contract Cases in Large Counties: Civil Justice Survey of State Courts, 1992, 2/96. This Special Report presents 1992 data on disposition of 366,000 contract cases involving 1.3 million litigants in State general jurisdiction courts in the Nation's 75 largest counties. NCJ 156664.

Civil Jury Cases and Verdicts in Large Counties: Civil Justice Survey of State Courts, 1992, 7/95. Discusses the 12,000 tort, contract, and real property rights cases disposed of by juries in the 75 largest counties during a 12-month period ending June 30, 1992. NCJ 154346

Tort Cases in Large Counties: Civil Justice Survey of State Courts, 1992, 4/13/95. Reports findings of a study of a representative sample of tort cases in the 75 largest counties. NCJ 153177

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Related sites

From BJS

• Courts and Sentencing
  
Civil Justice Survey of State Courts


• Civil Justice Roundtable Discussion
  
Acrobat file (489K) | Ascii file (23K)



Help for using BJS products

Other relevant sites

• Courts Statistics Project, National Center for State Courts
• The Institute for Civil Justice, Rand Corporation

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Page last revised on July 27, 2004