Many people think the trial judge tells the jury how much they can award in a negligence, medical malpractice or wrongful death case in New York.
That thinking is totally wrong. Most injury and accident cases in New York involve jury trials. In that instance, the jury decides how much money to award as compensation for your pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost earnings.
In the rare instance where someone has chosen to have a judge trial (also known as a bench trial) then the judge will decide how much to award.
Importantly, in a jury trial, the judge does not ever give the jury his (or her) opinion of how much to award. Nor does he give the jury guidelines of how much to award.
Watch the video to learn more.
