Day on Torts
Information is now available on the number of tort trials and jury verdicts in Sullivan County, Tennessee (county seat: Blountville) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.
There were 181 personal injury and wrongful death cases closed in Sullivan County (not including health care liability act cases) and only one trial. Here is how that compares with prior years:
Note that 1-2 % of all closed personal injury and wrongful death cases in Sullivan County are tried to judgment. When your client asks you “what are the odds my Sullivan County personal injury case will go to trial” you can say that, on average 98-99% of filed cases are resolved (through voluntary dismissal, dismissal on motion, or settlement) before a jury verdict or judgment is announced.
Look below for the paucity of jury trials in these cases. In the last six fiscal years, there have been nine personal injury and wrongful death trials and only three of them were tried to a jury. The other six trials were to the judge. And, more importantly, a plaintiff did not recover money in any of these trials. Not a single one.
Does that mean a plaintiff cannot win a personal injury or wrongful death case in Sullivan County? Of course not. It means only that of the cases that went to trial, jury or nonjury, the plaintiff has been turned away each time. And nothing more than that.
You can find information about trials and verdicts in tort cases for every county in Tennessee by visiting the Free Resources at www.birddoglaw.com. Click on this link to find a list of every county in the state, click on the relevant county, and go to “Case Statistics.” (Note: we are still inputting the 2021-22 data so some counties will have data only through June 30, 2021. All information will be complete before May 1.