Property damage - Product liability

Federal civil · Torts · 20,365 cases filed and closed (1988–present).

20,365

Cases filed

92.2%

Ended before a merits judgment

18,769 of 20,365 cases

25.1%

Plaintiff win

of 1,596 merits judgments

61.6%

Defendant win

of merits judgments

Most cases never reach a ruling on the merits. Of 20,365 filed, 92.2% closed without one — settled, dismissed, transferred, or remanded. The win rates above describe only the 1,596 that a judge actually decided.

How they closed

Settled34.6%
Dismissed26.9%
Transferred20.4%
Remanded6.8%
Defendant win4.8%
Other3.5%
Plaintiff win2%
Decided — other0.5%
Mixed0.5%
Denied0%
Affirmed0%

Where you file matters

The same claim resolves differently across districts. Plaintiff-win rate among merits judgments, busiest courts first.

Read the law behind property damage - product liability

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.