Litigation Strategy and Case Evaluation
Jury and Venue Research
Research examines how the numbers a jury hears affect the award, testing plaintiff demands, defense alternatives, and the effect of offering no figure. Findings inform whether and what number the defense should propose.
Anchoring effects are well documented.
Alternative Names:
Anchoring Research|Damages Number Research
Why it Matters?
Research consistently shows that offering no defense figure leaves the plaintiff's demand as the sole anchor and produces higher awards than proposing an alternative, which contradicts the intuition that any number concedes liability. Testing specific figures identifies which alternatives reduce awards without appearing to concede. The framing that accompanies the number matters as much as the number itself.
Frequently Confused with
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Frequently asked questions
What does the research consistently show?
What matters as much as the number?
