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Valerie P. Hans

2015

Corporate defendants

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Law

Jurors' Judgments Of Business Liability In Tort Cases: Implications For The Litigation Explosion, Valerie P. Hans, William S. Lofquist Jun 2015

Jurors' Judgments Of Business Liability In Tort Cases: Implications For The Litigation Explosion, Valerie P. Hans, William S. Lofquist

Valerie P. Hans

Criticisms of the civil jury, including charges that the jury is biased against business, have been central to debates over the litigation explosion and demands for tort reform. This article seeks to inform these ongoing controversies by examining tort jurors' accounts of how they reached decisions in cases with business parties. Interviews and questionnaire data showed that jurors were skeptical of plaintiff tort cases against businesses, organized their accounts more on the actions and motivations of plaintiffs than on the responsibilities of business, and spoke often of the litigation crisis and the importance of limiting awards.


The Contested Role Of The Civil Jury In Business Litigation, Valerie P. Hans Jun 2015

The Contested Role Of The Civil Jury In Business Litigation, Valerie P. Hans

Valerie P. Hans

According to a recent study, several of the most frequent criticisms of the jury in business cases--that it is pro-plaintiff, that its decisions are based more on sympathy and prejudice than facts, and that it focuses on the defendant's deep pockets--appear to be unfounded.