Why Is Insurance Not Disclosed During Trials?

With few exceptions, Vermont juries are never told that the personal injury claim they are deciding has insurance.  That is because there is a rule of evidence that excludes this information because it is thought that it may affect the juries’ determinations and cause higher verdicts.  

However, others believe that if the jury thinks that payment of their verdict will come out of the pockets of the individual defendants, this will potentially reduce the amount of verdict.  Juries are left to wonder where the money to pay the verdict will come from.  The allowance of this information to the jury causes the court system to engage in a “legal fiction” to the advantage of insurance companies and to the disadvantage of consumers.

We offer free consultations to help you make a more informed choice.  Our background and experience (see the “In The News” page of this website) can help in making a good decision about who should be hired to handle your case.  We have offices in Bennington and Manchester, Vermont and handle cases throughout the entire State.