Torts to land
Federal civil · Real Property · 13,134 cases filed and closed (1988–present).
13,134
Cases filed
86.6%
Ended before a merits judgment
11,374 of 13,134 cases
26.9%
Plaintiff win
of 1,760 merits judgments
61.9%
Defendant win
of merits judgments
How they closed
- Dismissed40.1%
- Settled29.9%
- Remanded9%
- Defendant win8.3%
- Other3.9%
- Transferred3.6%
- Plaintiff win3.6%
- Decided — other0.8%
- Mixed0.7%
- Affirmed0%
- Denied0%
Where you file matters
The same claim resolves differently across districts. Plaintiff-win rate among merits judgments, busiest courts first.
- District Court, D. Kansas979 cases · 21 decided—
- District Court, E.D. Louisiana831 cases · 204 decided9.3%
- District Court, N.D. California497 cases · 53 decided22.6%
- District Court, W.D. Louisiana432 cases · 38 decided18.4%
- District Court, C.D. California410 cases · 34 decided38.2%
- District Court, D. South Carolina348 cases · 46 decided32.6%
- District Court, S.D. Illinois335 cases · 8 decided—
- District Court, W.D. Oklahoma331 cases · 34 decided35.3%
- District Court, S.D. Texas298 cases · 24 decided—
- District Court, S.D. Mississippi298 cases · 39 decided30.8%
- District Court, N.D. Illinois256 cases · 28 decided—
- District Court, S.D. West Virginia246 cases · 22 decided—
- District Court, E.D. California232 cases · 38 decided18.4%
- District Court, N.D. Georgia202 cases · 43 decided37.2%
- District Court, E.D. Michigan193 cases · 32 decided28.1%
- District Court, D. New Jersey186 cases · 27 decided—
- District Court, D. Maryland185 cases · 20 decided—
- District Court, E.D. Tennessee181 cases · 38 decided34.2%
- District Court, N.D. West Virginia178 cases · 14 decided—
- District Court, W.D. Virginia175 cases · 26 decided—
- District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania169 cases · 17 decided—
- District Court, E.D. Texas166 cases · 10 decided—
- District Court, District of Columbia161 cases · 22 decided—
- District Court, E.D. Kentucky159 cases · 24 decided—
- District Court, W.D. Washington150 cases · 39 decided30.8%
- District Court, S.D. New York146 cases · 15 decided—
- District Court, N.D. Alabama145 cases · 14 decided—
- District Court, S.D. California144 cases · 30 decided20%
- District Court, D. Oregon144 cases · 31 decided29%
- District Court, D. Colorado144 cases · 22 decided—
Source: FJC Integrated Database (public domain), via CourtListener — federal civil cases filed and terminated, 1988–present. Figures are descriptive statistics about how cases of a given type have closed in a given court. They describe the historical record — not a prediction or assessment of any specific case. Not legal advice.