Philadelphia Jury's $8 Billion Punitive Damage Award (appointed, lawsuits, vs)

[Wells5]

The award went to a male who grew large breasts while taking Risperdal, an anti-psychotic drug made by a Johnson and Johnson subsidiary.


This award is insane. Juries ought to be done away with. In PA, you can be forced to sit on a jury up to age 75 and paid $9 a day for your services.

[1ondoner]

The problem with the US are frivilous lawsuits that have to be tried before a jury. Juries are by nature sympathetic to victims but also distrust big corporations and therefore it is not uncommon for jurors to award billions of dollars damages against corporations.

It doesn't help that the press loves to give prominence to these outrageous jury awards because of the David vs Goliath nature of these trials. In some of the cases, the awards are justified and appropriate for the damages causedbut in most cases they are not.

Unbeknownst to most, corporations usually appeal the verdicts, however, the appeals are heard in APPELLATE courts which unlike TRIAL courts have no jurors. It is in these courts that the awards are overturned but we don' get to hear about this in the news because these kind of news doesn't attract eyeballs.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Wells5

The award went to a male who grew large breasts while taking Risperdal, an anti-psychotic drug made by a Johnson and Johnson subsidiary.


This award is insane. Juries ought to be done away with. In PA, you can be forced to sit on a jury up to age 75 and paid $9 a day for your services.

In Phila., it's 70. I'll be 70 next month and will happily decline the next jury summons which I expect to get sometime next year.

[Flyers Girl]

It will be appealed. The corporation won't have to pay anywhere near that amount.

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

It will be appealed. The corporation won't have to pay anywhere near that amount.

The parties could have settled this out of court but the pettifogging shysters wanted a bigger cut of the award and Philly juries are the ones to give them what they want.


I think that the jurors wanted to show how irritated they were for being forced into involuntary servitude and having to listen to a lot of drivel.


Abolish the jury system!

[Flyers Girl]

Originally Posted by Wells5

Abolish the jury system!

Ant just what would you replace with it? You want a state-appointed (or elected in PA's case) public servant (i.e., the judge) to mete out punishment? No thanks. I'd rather a jury of my peers.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Wells5

The parties could have settled this out of court but the pettifogging shysters wanted a bigger cut of the award and Philly juries are the ones to give them what they want.


I think that the jurors wanted to show how irritated they were for being forced into involuntary servitude and having to listen to a lot of drivel.


Abolish the jury system!

The right to a jury trial is in the Constitution.

It's easy, during voir dire, to get out of serving. Just say you can't be impartial.

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

Ant just what would you replace with it? You want a state-appointed (or elected in PA's case) public servant (i.e., the judge) to mete out punishment? No thanks. I'd rather a jury of my peers.

Most of the world's countries use what's called the "civil law" as opposed to the "common law" used in the UK and its former colonies. Civil law trials are usually presided over by a panel of 3 judges.


The jury system originated with the Vikings.

[1ondoner]

Appellate court are constituted with 3 judges per case. I think the use of juries is progressive but it's often abused by prosecutors. The right to waive a trial by jury should solely be decided by the defendant if they think they will not get a fair trial.

Originally Posted by Wells5

Most of the world's countries use what's called the "civil law" as opposed to the "common law" used in the UK and its former colonies. Civil law trials are usually presided over by a panel of 3 judges.


The jury system originated with the Vikings.

[thedirtypirate]

It’s somewhat ironic J&J’s CEO said Philadelphia could become the Silicon Valley of health care at a conference here yesterday.