According to the latest study from Jury Verdict Research, discrimination verdicts are on the rise.  The median award rose a whopping 70%, from $147,500 in 2006 to $252,000 in 2007.

Some other fascinating facts . . .

What are an employer’s chances of winning at trial?

Employers won only 38% of discrimination lawsuits in 2007, the worst win rate of the decade and down from 45% in 2006.  The lowest win rate (30%) was in sex discrimination cases and the highest (43%) was in race discrimination cases.

What employers took the biggest hit?

Manufacturing/industrial had the biggest verdicts, followed by government, transportation and then service/retail.

What forms of discrimination generate the biggest verdicts?

Age discrimination was #1, followed by disability, sex and race.

Are employers better off in federal or state court?

Employers are better off in federal court, where they won 43% of the cases in 2007, versus only 34% in state court.  In addition, the median federal award was 22% lower than the median state award.

What should we expect in the near future?

As we discussed here, employment lawsuits typically rise in a downturn.  So, it’s fairly reasonable to expect the above numbers to continue rising.

Where can I get more?

For the full report – required reading for all HR professionals, business owners and employment lawyers – click here.

Each week, we post a thought-provoking question for your consideration.  Here’s last week’s question, along with your responses.

Which type of discrimination lawsuit is mot likely to result in a big-$$$ verdict?

a.  Age (16%)
b.  Disability (21%)
c.  Gender (19%)
d.  Race (39%)
e.  Religion (4%)

The correct answer is “a.”

According to the latest jury verdict research, age discrimination tops the list for biggest awards in discrimination cases.  The median age discrimination award is more than $250,000.

#2 is disability discrimination at more than $214,000, #3 is gender discrimination at $200,000 and a distant #4 is race discrimination at $167,000.  For more, check out the official Jury Verdict Research site.

Our visitors are now batting a respectable .469 (15 right, 17 wrong) on our weekly questions.  The next one will be coming your way soon.

Thanks for your participation!