I’ve mentioned this before: a multi-$million jury verdict in a case may get media coverage and may make the plaintiff and his lawyers jump up and down.
Don’t jump too high. Because often huge jury verdicts are appealed by the defendants. And here’s an exemplary story of one of those verdicts from the Daily News:
Judges zap 2M verdict
A Bronx jury’s decision to give an epileptic man $2 million after police zapped him with a stun gun in 2006 was tossed Thursday by a panel of judges in the Manhattan Appellate Division.
Carlos Pacheco said an NYPD sergeant used excessive force and injured him with the stun gun, which was used to subdue him so he could be transported by ambulance to a hospital.
The judges said there was ample evidence that police acted reasonably because Pacheco was thrashing around wildly after experiencing a seizure.
Cops said he broke a dresser with his kicks, bit an officer who handcuffed him, and was extremely violent and agitated until the stun gun subdued him.
The jury verdict came in April 2011. Now, two years later, the Appellate Division dismissed the complaint completely. No money, no re-trial.
This is why lawyers lean toward settling cases. If you don’t, you could emerge with nothing.