False Imprisonment Cases: Median Verdicts and Settlements
The latest edition of Metro Verdicts Monthly provides numbers on false arrest/imprisonment cases in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The median legal false arrest/imprisonment verdict or settlement in Washington D.C. was $25,000.00. Virginia and Maryland have slightly higher median settlement/verdicts of $26,000.00 and $29,000.00, respectively.
Our law firm does not handle these cases. (On the rare occasion we get a false imprisonment/false arrest/police brutality case we refer the case to Larry Greenberg, a Baltimore lawyer, who does a really good job and aggressively works up those cases.) But I’m surprised the median verdict/settlement is this high because I would think the median case would be one with relatively insignificant injuries except for the inconvenience. There are awful exceptions to that rule to be sure but those awful exceptions would be reflected in the average – as opposed to the median.
While I obviously love these graphs, I wish Metro Verdicts Monthly would provide a little more information. I’m not sure if this number only involves police officer false imprisonment cases or also includes non-police cases where, for example, a department store detains someone they wrongfully accuse of shoplifting. If I were a juror, I would be more inclined to give a larger award against an overzealous Wal-Mart or Target employee than I would a police officer trying to do his/her job in good faith, albeit negligently.
Comments
i was arrested last summer from walmart pressing false charges on me. I bought myself a new Play station (paid in cash) and it broke so i took it back (got cash back) a week later cops kick my door in and smash me off the wall kick me and swear at me and spit on me and i have no clue what i did wrong. Later they said i was going to jail for using a credit card (that wasnt mine) to buy the ps3. I ended up missing my sisters highschool graduation and my mom had to miss it tryin to bail me out of jail. i spent almost 2 days in jail for nothing. the day of my court date i showed the judge my receipt for the ps3 and showed it was paid in cash and it was dismissed. But now im going after walmart for messin up my life more than it already is and missin my sisters graduation and for makin me sit in gross ass Allegheny County Jail for 2 days. what do you think i should get/ask for as a settlement? (rough guess)
Posted by: Brooks | May 5, 2010 10:11 AM