COVID-19 and How Juries Use Checklists to Make Decisions?

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Social science tells us that people attain selections in distinct methods, typically knowledgeable by their persona, background, perspective, and core values. One strategy to processing data is recognized as “Checklisting.” In a jury context, checklisters rigorously scrutinize the proof and are often swayed by arguments that concentrate on technical and authorized specs moderately than emotional components. Checklisters typically don’t waver from the authorized components when confronted with plaintiff appeals to sympathy or out of concern for the plaintiffs’ welfare. For that reason, checklisters are sometimes defense-oriented jurors.

COVID-19, nevertheless, presents a brand new theme of litigation on this post-pandemic world. Plaintiffs’ alleged damages haven’t been brought on in ‘customary’ instances, and pre-pandemic ‘customary’ legislation hasn’t addressed the havoc wreaked by the virus. Beneath these circumstances, will a checklister nonetheless resist appeals to sympathy?

As the results of the COVID-19 pandemic have resounded throughout communities, companies, and the courts, IMS has been conducting in depth analysis to assist our purchasers achieve insights and views on the virus’ implications for his or her instances and trials. By a collection of twelve mock jury focus teams, convened this summer season throughout three main venues, we explored a variety of ideas and attitudes throughout seven litigation sorts within the context of COVID-19.

On this analysis, checklisters had been current on many of the panels. Their responses to the assorted case narratives introduced to them persistently revealed the tell-tale checklisting strategy to processing data. However regardless of the presence of checklisters throughout the mock juries, we recognized vital nuances of their views on these sorts of claims.

For instance, checklisters had been wholly dismissive of enterprise interruption insurance coverage claims associated to COVID-19. They zeroed-in on particular coverage language involving “bodily harm or loss,” decided that such harm didn’t exist, and dominated in favor of the defendant insurer.

Conversely, checklisters tended to favor the plaintiff in lawsuits involving extremely regulated industries. For instance, they seen nursing properties and employers as liable within the occasion of COVID-19 infections when the hurt was preceded by documented violations of presidency requirements or rules for cleanliness or hygiene.

Jury Concerns

Would you like checklisters in your jury? Based mostly on the above and analysis particular to your case, chances are you’ll.

It’s critical, then, to establish checklisters in your venire and decide the most effective strategy to enchantment to them. These jurors are often formidable and persuasive in deliberations. Even one checklister in your facet can have enormous implications on your probability at victory. The method of figuring out them is finest completed by a mixture of a jury questionnaire, dwell voir dire questions, and background analysis.

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Learn extra on the examine right here.