There's no doubt that recent years have seen a rise of jury awards across the tort claim spectrum, including a $32 million Ohio verdict that left Dentons reeling in shock.

Lawyers and insurance executives say the surge of surprisingly high awards subject to social inflation—also known as "nuclear verdicts"—is not a new phenomenon.

Jim Lynch, chief actuary and senior vice president with Insurance Information Institute, pointed to figures showing that since 2003 the median cost of single-fatality accident rose from $2.1 million to $5.1 million in 2019, according to a study by insurance research company Advisen.