How close does an actual settlement compare to a JVR report?

[Taffycat]

What is the name of your state? NC

Our attorney is finally submitting the demand letters for my husband and myself. His office uses the Jury Verdict Research software to get an idea how much a claim is worth.

When I asked him today just how close does the actual settlement amounts come to the JVR report amounts, he explained quite a bit yet never really answered. "Of course, if our initial demand is too high, they will offer too low or lower than usual. Then we'll counter and add the JVR report. All we can do is wait and see."

And I DO understand that every case is individual and that the only way to know the TRUE answer is to 'wait and see'.

But surely there is an average???

Can anyone imput their experience with this one?

Thanks,
Taffy

 

[ProResearch]

Taffy, I'll reply because I hate it when no answers. Probably because this subject has been talked about over and over. You can do a SEARCH on this web site for past posts and replies (top, upper righthand corner along with the REGISTER and F.A.Q. buttons) for search terms like "settlement" "offer" and the like.

It's maddening not to know what you might get. I'll give you my experience:

Attorney-friend has law library where I worked run a plaintiff's verdict report for the county I live in for the type of injuries I had. Average plaintiff verdict: $20,000. Plaintiff wins 70% of the time so that means this county is pro-plaintiff. Okay, then I went and saw another attorney (who I *use* to work with and who happens to be in personal injury practice) and he listens to me for about an hour and critique's my demand letter and says, your case is worth $15,000 to $18,000, closer to the 15 he says. He suggested I demand the policy limits of $25,000 to give room for negotiation.

I ultimately settled for $14,500. I believe now I could have gotten more because my case was textbook at-fault for other driver, first-time plaintiff, bad defendant driver record, etc.; but because I am not a professional negotiator like personal injury attorneys are -- and the insurance adjusters are -- I did the best I could without having to pay attorneys' fees. Actually, if I hired an attorney he could have gotten the $18K but then after I paid him I would have pocketed the same amount I received without him. At any rate, I was fine with the amount. So you see figures are all over the place. It's a combination of things. You have an attorney, so you'll have to pay him. He'll get the best he can for you.

Let us (me?) know how you fared (faired?