In NYC, jury trials have basically come to a stand still. They’re starting to come back, but very slowly. So the incentive to settle has diminished, which has lead to the somewhat pejorative ‘covid discount.’ On top of that, the people who did get injured during the pandemic were less likely to go to the hospital, either due to fear or capacity issues, opting for their PCP or Urgent Care, further reducing the value of their cases. Plus, we have some counties where the trial calendars are now years long. Four plus years is not unheard of. Discovery has slowed to a crawl, and some discovery motions have been administratively adjourned for more than a year. Needless to say, NYC is a shit show. (How’s that for complaining?) What about you?
Wow, that sounds rough. I’ve noticed the same thing in my practice too. What kind of cases are you mostly dealing with?
On the pre-lit side, we have an explosion in cases. Last year was apparently one of their best years.
I’ve been hearing a lot about these ‘covid discounts.’ It’s frustrating because it feels like people are just taking advantage of the situation.
I’ve also seen slowdowns in discovery. It’s becoming a real issue.
How are you all managing client expectations during this time? It must be tough.