Ten Reasons Not To Ask For A Jury Trial

Most plaintiff lawyers believe that you should always ask for a jury trial. The conventional wisdom is that a jury intimidates defendants, particularly insurance companies, and creates the possibility of a higher verdict than in a bench trial.

However, this is not always true. In many cases you are better off without a jury even as a plaintiff.

Here are ten reasons why you may want to avoid a jury trial:

1. Your client is not likeable;
2. The defendant is sympathetic;
3. The case is very complicated and the jury will not understand it;
4. The defendant is a local business or has a good reputation in the community;
5. Your case is in a conservative community that would likely frown on big jury verdicts;