Real Cases, Real Rewards

Large jury awards are no longer just high-profile headlines – they’ve become a persistent threat to the operational and financial stability of businesses across industries. Recent data shows that mega-nuclear verdicts (over $100 million) are growing at a faster rate than nuclear verdicts (over $10 million). This is a clear sign that litigation risk isn’t just rising, it’s reshaping what businesses must prepare for.

Verdict Growth by the Numbers | 2020-2024

• Mega-nuclear verdicts have increased by 61% annually.

• Nuclear verdict frequency is also rising on average, with 20.6% annual growth.

• The average Top 100 verdict (nuclear/mega-nuclear combined) was over $800 million.

• Excluding a $301 billion outlier verdict, the combined average was still more than $225 million.

Staying Ahead of Large Verdict Risk Several factors are fueling the frequency of large verdicts, including social inflation, changing jury attitudes, judicial reforms, plaintiff attorney tactics and third-party litigation funding. In this environment, even routine business operations could trigger a nuclear or mega-nuclear lawsuit. To stay ahead of these trends, companies should evaluate their business insurance coverage and risk strategies before a major loss occurs.

Jury awards continue to rise in both frequency and severity, creating challenges for companies of every size. Even verdicts well below “nuclear” levels can be financially and reputationally damaging.

Source: Travelers Insurance