Legal Memorandum: Pain and Suffering Verdicts

Issue: What range of jury verdicts have been reported that included pain and suffering awards in excess of $2 million throughout Pennsylvania or in any amount within Delaware County specifically?

           A search of jury verdict files for pain and suffering verdicts yielded 38 plaintiff’s pain and suffering verdicts in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, ranging from $250 to $1.5 million.  An online search also yielded 12 plaintiff’s verdicts of $2 million or more, which include awards for pain and suffering, in Pennsylvania as a whole.  The pain and suffering awards in these verdicts range from $750,000 to $15 million.

·         A female suffered a closed head injury with post-traumatic headaches, cervical radiculopathy, soft tissue injuries to the neck and lower back, and shoulder strain when her vehicle was struck from the rear by the vehicle operated by one defendant and owned by the other two defendants. The plaintiff contended that the defendants were negligent for failing to keep a proper lookout and for failing to maintain an appropriate speed. The defendants admitted striking the plaintiff’s vehicle but denied negligence. The plaintiff’s spouse claimed loss of consortium but did not receive an award. The plaintiff was awarded $500, $250 of which was for pain and suffering.   Glass v. Haile, No. 212840 (Delaware County, Pa. Ct. C.P. May 1997).

·         A male suffered pain of the upper right hemithorax and emotional distress when the defendant doctor failed to remove a catheter from his chest while undergoing treatment for cellulitis and an abscess of the right lower leg. The plaintiff contended that the defendant was negligent for failing to remove the catheter, for failing to tell the plaintiff of the […]