Personal injury lawsuits in the U.S. often stem from auto accidents and everyday incidents, and they play out across both state and federal courts. Most cases resolve before trial—typically within 12–24 months—and involve substantial defense costs. The outcome patterns vary by forum and case type, from short auto cases that settle to the smaller share that go to trial.
Key Takeaways
- 75% of personal injury cases take 12-24 months to resolve from filing.
- Average cost to defend a personal injury lawsuit is $50,000-$75,000 through settlement.
- 20% of personal injury cases go to trial, lasting average 3 days.
- In 2022, approximately 475,000 tort cases, including personal injury lawsuits, were filed in U.S. state general jurisdiction courts, accounting for 11.5% of all civil filings.
- Personal injury cases made up 52% of all tort filings in state courts in 2021, with auto accident claims being the most common subtype at 28%.
- From 2010 to 2020, the number of personal injury lawsuits filed annually in federal courts averaged 15,200, peaking at 18,500 in 2018.
- The median jury verdict for personal injury trials in 2022 was $30,000.
- Average compensatory damages in personal injury jury trials reached $679,000 in 2023.
- In auto injury jury verdicts, median award was $25,198 in 2022.
- 52% of personal injury plaintiffs are female, based on 2022 court data.
- Average age of personal injury plaintiffs is 42 years old in auto cases.
- 35% of personal injury plaintiffs are over 55 years old, per 2021 surveys.
- Average personal injury settlement in 2023 was $55,056 for all case types combined.
- 95% of personal injury cases settle before trial, with median settlement of $24,000 in 2022.
- Auto accident personal injury settlements averaged $23,900 in 2023.
Most personal injury cases settle, typically within about 14.5 months, with defense costs often reaching $50,000 to $75,000.
Related reading
01 · Category
Case Duration And Costs15 stats
01
75% of personal injury cases take 12-24 months to resolve from filing.
02
Average cost to defend a personal injury lawsuit is $50,000-$75,000 through settlement.
03
20% of personal injury cases go to trial, lasting average 3 days.
04
Median time from injury to settlement in PI cases is 14.5 months in 2022.
05
Attorney fees average 33% contingency in personal injury settlements under $100k.
06
Discovery phase in PI lawsuits averages 6-9 months, costing $20,000avg.
07
45% of PI cases dismissed within first year for procedural reasons.
08
Average litigation cost per PI case is $121,000when going to trial.
09
Personal injury appeals take average 18 months, with 10% reversal rate.
10
Mediation resolves 70% of PI cases in 4-6 months, saving 40% in costs.
11
Expert witness fees in PI trials average $15,000per case.
12
30% of PI cases exceed 2 years due to multiple defendants.
13
Insurance defense costs for PI claims averaged $60,000in 2023.
14
Summary judgment granted in 25% of PI motions, shortening cases by 6 months.
15
Post-settlement disbursement delays average 30 days in PI cases.
Interpretation
Case Duration And Costs Interpretation
For the Case Duration And Costs category, most personal injury cases resolve within 12 to 24 months and the defense typically costs $50,000 to $75,000, yet when the 20% that go to trial do so for about 3 days after a lengthy 6 to 9 month discovery phase, overall expenses and timelines can quickly escalate.
02 · Category
Case Volume And Filings18 stats
01
In 2022, approximately 475,000 tort cases, including personal injury lawsuits, were filed in U.S. state general jurisdiction courts, accounting for 11.5% of all civil filings.
02
Personal injury cases made up 52% of all tort filings in state courts in 2021, with auto accident claims being the most common subtype at 28%.
03
From 2010 to 2020, the number of personal injury lawsuits filed annually in federal courts averaged 15,200, peaking at 18,500 in 2018.
04
In California state courts, personal injury filings reached 120,000 in 2022, a 5% increase from 2021.
05
New York saw 45,000 personal injury cases filed in 2023, representing 25% of civil docket.
06
Florida personal injury lawsuits totaled 98,000 in 2022, driven by slip-and-fall and auto claims.
07
Texas reported 75,200 personal injury filings in 2021, with a 3-year average growth of 2.1%.
08
Nationwide, premises liability personal injury suits increased 8% from 2019 to 2022.
09
Product liability personal injury cases filed in 2022 numbered 12,500 across U.S. courts.
10
Medical malpractice personal injury filings dropped 4% to 18,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19.
11
Auto negligence personal injury cases comprised 62% of tort filings in urban state courts in 2021.
12
In 2023, Illinois courts handled 32,000 personal injury lawsuits, up 7% year-over-year.
13
Pennsylvania personal injury filings averaged 28,500 annually from 2018-2022.
14
Georgia saw a 12% rise in personal injury cases to 22,000 in 2022.
15
Nationwide pro se personal injury filings increased 15% to 9,200 in 2022.
16
Ohio personal injury lawsuits totaled 19,800 in 2021, 18% of civil cases.
17
Michigan reported 25,000 personal injury filings in 2022.
18
New Jersey personal injury cases reached 18,500 in 2023.
Interpretation
Case Volume And Filings Interpretation
Personal injury filings are a major and growing share of the case volume, with personal injury accounting for 52% of tort filings in state courts in 2021 and topping 120,000 filings in California in 2022 after a 5% jump from 2021.
03 · Category
Jury Verdicts And Awards15 stats
01
The median jury verdict for personal injury trials in 2022 was $30,000.
02
Average compensatory damages in personal injury jury trials reached $679,000in 2023.
03
In auto injury jury verdicts, median award was $25,198in 2022.
04
60% of personal injury jury trials resulted in plaintiff verdicts in 2021.
05
Largest personal injury verdict in 2023 was $4.1 billion for talc-related cancer.
06
Medical malpractice jury awards averaged $1.2 million in 2022 trials.
07
Slip-and-fall jury verdicts median $50,000,with punitive damages in 15% of cases.
08
Truck accident jury verdicts averaged $1.5 million in 2023.
09
Product liability jury awards hit $10 million median for defective drugs in 2022.
10
Premises liability jury verdicts averaged $200,000in security negligence cases.
11
Dog bite jury verdicts median $59,000,highest $373,000 in 2022.
12
Wrongful death jury awards averaged $2.8 million in 2023.
13
Burn injury jury verdicts ranged $500,000to $15 million in severe cases 2022.
14
Nursing home negligence jury verdicts median $250,000in 2023.
15
Construction accident jury awards averaged $1.1 million in 2022.
Interpretation
Jury Verdicts And Awards Interpretation
Within the Jury Verdicts And Awards category, compensation is highly variable, with the median jury verdict at just $30,000 in 2022 but average compensatory damages rising to $679,000 in 2023 and the biggest award reaching $4.1 billion, underscoring that outcomes can swing dramatically even within jury-driven cases.
More related reading
04 · Category
Plaintiff Demographics15 stats
01
52% of personal injury plaintiffs are female, based on 2022 court data.
02
Average age of personal injury plaintiffs is 42 years old in auto cases.
03
35% of personal injury plaintiffs are over 55 years old, per 2021 surveys.
04
African Americans comprise 22% of personal injury plaintiffs in urban courts.
05
28% of slip-and-fall plaintiffs are elderly (65+), 2022 data.
06
Males represent 55% of personal injury plaintiffs in workplace claims.
07
40% of medical malpractice plaintiffs are children under 18.
08
Hispanic plaintiffs make up 18% of personal injury cases in Florida courts.
09
65% of dog bite victims/plaintiffs are children under 13.
10
Low-income plaintiffs (<$50k household) file 45% of personal injury suits.
11
30% of personal injury plaintiffs have prior claims history.
12
Females are 62% of nursing home abuse personal injury plaintiffs.
13
Urban residents file 70% of personal injury lawsuits nationwide.
14
25% of product liability plaintiffs are under 30 years old.
15
Veterans comprise 8% of personal injury plaintiffs in premises cases.
Interpretation
Plaintiff Demographics Interpretation
Within the plaintiff demographics for personal injury cases, women make up 52% of plaintiffs overall, while workplace claims skew more male at 55%, showing a meaningful gender split that lawyers should consider when tailoring their outreach and trial strategy.
05 · Category
Settlement Amounts And Rates15 stats
01
Average personal injury settlement in 2023 was $55,056for all case types combined.
02
95% of personal injury cases settle before trial, with median settlement of $24,000 in 2022.
03
Auto accident personal injury settlements averaged $23,900in 2023.
04
Slip and fall settlements median was $30,000in 2022 surveys.
05
76% of personal injury cases resolved via settlement in under 1 year in 2021.
06
Average workers' comp personal injury settlement was $41,857in 2023.
07
Medical malpractice settlements averaged $348,065in 2022.
08
Premises liability settlements median $25,000,with 80% settling pre-trial.
09
Product liability personal injury settlements averaged $748,000in high-value cases in 2023.
10
Dog bite personal injury settlements averaged $64,744in 2022.
11
85% settlement rate for rear-end collision personal injury claims at $15,000 median.
12
Nursing home abuse personal injury settlements averaged $300,000in 2023.
13
Truck accident personal injury settlements median $100,000in 2022.
14
Burn injury settlements averaged $265,000for moderate cases in 2023.
15
Wrongful death personal injury settlements median $700,000in 2022.
Interpretation
Settlement Amounts And Rates Interpretation
Across settlement amounts and timelines, most personal injury cases never reach trial with 95% settling early and 76% resolving within a year, while the median settlement sits at about $24,000 in 2022 and averages reach $55,056 overall in 2023.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Personal Injury Lawsuits Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/personal-injury-lawsuits-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Personal Injury Lawsuits Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/personal-injury-lawsuits-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Personal Injury Lawsuits Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/personal-injury-lawsuits-statistics.
Sources & references
60 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level