Issue: What are recent jury verdicts and settlements, on a national basis, involving an award of hedonic damages?
| Area of Law: | Personal Injury & Negligence |
| Keywords: | Award of hedonic damages; Jury verdicts and settlements |
| Jurisdiction: | Federal, Multistate |
| Cited Cases: | None |
| Cited Statutes: | None |
| Date: | 03/01/2001 |
An online search through jury verdict and settlement files in several databases and review of published materials for cases involving an award of hedonic damages resulted in six verdicts and settlements reports with two of those reports containing awards or settlements of $1,000,000 or more. Verdicts and settlements ranged from $150,000 to $1,773,204, with an average of $900,483. Dropping the highest verdict and lowest figure the average becomes $542,150.
Verdicts and Settlements
An 82-year-old Connecticut male died of injuries sustained when the defendant’s vehicle struck him as he attempted to cross a roadway. The plaintiff claimed general damages for the death of decedent, in addition to funeral expenses and hedonic damages. The parties settled before trial for $150,000. Orzechowski v. Onofrio, No. CV-89-0281107, 1992 WL 537711 (New Haven Cty. Super. Ct., Conn. June 1992). (Source: JV-ALL.)
A three-year-old female died after the car in which she was a passenger became disabled, was hit from behind by defendant’s car, and was then pushed into the path of the second defendant’s truck. The jury awarded the plaintiff $250,000 in hedonic damages for the death of the child. The decedent’s mother, who was also in the car at the time of the accident but who was not killed, was awarded separate damages of $1.25 million. Wood v. Equitable Life Assurance, No. 179220, 1990 WL 461352, 1990 WL 641253 (Fulton Cty. Super. Ct., Ga. Apr. 1990). (Source: JV-ALL.)
An 18-year-old male college freshman was killed when the vehicle […]