The first four months of 2014 have seen an increase in large personal injury verdicts and settlements in Pennsylvania as compared to 2013. According to an article recently published in The Legal Intelligencer, there have already been seven personal injury verdicts of $5 million or more across the state with two of them being eight-figure results. By comparison, there were 17 verdicts and settlements of $5 million or more in 2013 with 12 of them being eight-figure results.
Defense attorney, Nancy K. Raynor of Raynor & Associates in Malvern, PA who represents doctors and health care providers in medical malpractice cases believes that tort reform measures enacted in 2002 have weeded out many of the weaker cases leaving cases with high damages, typically filed by more sophisticated plaintiff’s attorneys. Raynor acknowledged that the increase in large verdicts has been “troublesome” for defense attorneys and she has increasingly found herself advising insurers to tender coverage to resolve cases.
Click here for a full copy of the article published in The Legal Intelligencer on May 6, 2014.