Jury Verdict Research has some interesting statistics on verdicts on money damages awarded at trial in premises liability claims.
Also included in the report is a look at median awards in different types of premises liability cases. So, at least theoretically, we have on average the same injuries but different defendants. The median award for premises liability claims against owners/operators of industrial property was the highest at $250,000. The median awards for other premises liability cases, according to the studies, were: $125,000 against recreational facilities; $114,726 against government property; $95,883 against service establishments; $75,000 against residential property owners; and $82,500 against retail stores.
I’m probably overstating the case. Owners of industrial property are far more likely to be mixing with dangerous activities, I’m sure. Still, the differences in the data are striking. Juries definitely consider who their plaintiffs and defendants are and that invariably gets factored into the verdict. It shouldn’t. But juries are human beings.
The statistics below chart the top and the bottom of the middle 50 percent of all awards (for the Probability Range and Award Range, the first number is the 25th percentile; the second is the 75th percentile).
| Year | Award Median | Probability Range | Award Range | Award Mean |
| 2004 | $81,000 | $25,950 – $300,000 | $68 – $12,200,000 | $452,919 |
| 2005 | $92,061 | $38,150 – $283,401 | $108 – $11,153,857 | $363,809 |
| 2006 | $77,281 | $21,822 – $300,000 | $250 – $15,839,000 | $409,651 |
| 2007 | $100,000 | $21,101 – $372,022 | $1 – $102,714,734 | $848,110 |
| 2008 | $117,028 | $35,714 – $474,842 | $879 – $24,162,000 | $784,839 |
| 2009 | $96,768 | $25,542 – $334,000 | $75 – $5,500,000 | $429,767 |
| 2010 | $85,000 | $29,554 – $350,000 | $2,050 – $16,000,000 | $673,556 |
| Overall | $92,611 | $28,328 – $336,373 | $1 – $102,714,734 | $562,441 |
Values for Most Common Injury Claims in Premises Liability Cases
The most frequently claimed injuries in premises liability cases are knee injuries which represented 11 percent of the total number of plaintiff verdicts in these cases. Second is ankle injuries making up 9 percent of the total. Most of these injuries are slip and fall cases where the client is falling to the ground, often twisting or turning a knee. Disc injuries made up 8 percent of the cases, leg injuries comprised 7 percent, shoulder injuries accounted for 6 percent, and arm injuries, spinal nerve injuries, and wrist injuries both accounted for 5 percent of the total cases. The remaining injures, including wrongful death, comprised 4 percent or less of the total number of premises liability jury awards. The only actual surprise for me looking at this data is that there are not more foot injuries. We have had a lot of cases with crushed feet, usually from falling objects. But the rest of these roughly fall in line with what our law firm sees in our practice.
Here are the values for those specific claims:
| Injury | Award Median | Probability Range |
| Knee Injuries | $75,000 | $30,625 – $196,645 |
| Ankle Injuries | $90,461 | $25,282 – $300,000 |
| Disc Damage | $162, 201 | $45,250 – $527,500 |
| Leg Injuries | $92,000 | $30,000 – $284,456 |
| Shoulder Injuries | $99,959 | $47,292 – $316,740 |
| Arm Injuries | $46,000 | $17,887 – $138,580 |
| Spinal Nerve Injuries | $165,000 | $49,280 – $951,171 |
| Wrist Injuries | $75,000 | $35,000 – $200,000 |
| Overall Injuries | $92,611 | $28,328 – $336,373 |
Getting a Premises Liability Lawyer in Maryland
The premises liability attorneys at Miller & Zois has recovered millions of dollars for victims in premises liability cases in Maryland. While these settlements and verdicts don’t guarantee future success, they underscore that we have the experience, the resources, and the skills to maximize the value of your case. If you want to discuss a potential claim, call Ron Miller at 800-883-8082 or get a free online consultation.