Our Riverside Car Accident Lawyers Explain Factors That Affect Juries
Our Riverside car accident lawyers explain to their clients the various factors that can affect the outcome of a case. Jurors can often be one of the most defining factors in a case. Our Riverside personal injury lawyer may discuss the following factors in depth with you.
Defendant’s Conduct
Our Riverside car accident lawyers may focus the case on the intentional conduct or degree of fault that the defendant was responsible for. Jurors often place themselves in the defendant’s position. If they believe that they would have acted much differently than the defendant, they may be more likely to side with the plaintiff and award larger damages. The defendant’s conduct is compared with the conduct of the plaintiff.
The Character of the Plaintiff
Another factor that can greatly affect the case is the character of the plaintiff. Oftentimes, people do not want to award money to someone who is not sympathetic. If the plaintiff has a tough personality or seems like an opportunist, the jury may side against him or her or award a smaller portion of damages. Similarly, jurors may consider what the money that the plaintiff may win will likely be used for. Jurors want to avoid giving a windfall to someone. However, they may be more swayed by testimony regarding the ongoing treatment that the victim will need due to the careless conduct of the defendant.
Their Own Beliefs
Jurors arrive at the courthouse with their own belief systems, attitudes and experiences. In fact, they are encouraged by Riverside car accident lawyers to depend on these characteristics when weighing the evidence and deciding the case. However, these characteristics can sometimes mean that jurors may bring certain biases into the jury. Jurors may make quick judgments regarding which party should win the case early in the process and then use all subsequent information to valid their preconceptions. This can mean that jurors may maintain a belief even if something later discussed in the trial contradicts the belief. A strong voir dire approach to get jurors to disclose potential biases can help mitigate these issues and eliminate potential bias.
Legal Assistance from Our Riverside Car Accident Lawyers
If you would like to learn more about factors that can influence jurors, contact Riverside car accident lawyers from Russell & Lazarus APC by calling (949) 851-0222.