Jury selection is possibly the most important and underrated component of a personal injury jury trial. Analyzing what motivates jurors to side with an injured victim is essential to obtaining a verdict. The goals in jury selection are to choose jurors who will be receptive to your client’s liability and damage claims and, when possible, exclude jurors who have pre-set opinions biased against your clients.
It is unquestionable that the attitudes toward the civil justice system citizens bring into the venire panel remain the most critical factor for jury selection. Potential jurors come into the courtroom with preconceived opinions affecting the way they will view the case. These opinions have been formed as a result of their life experiences. Attitudes that stem from life experiences will probably not change despite excellent legal arguments. Accordingly, counsel’s primary goal in jury selection should be to properly screen the panel to determine which potential jurors are prejudiced against your case or your client. Your second goal should be to educate the potential jury on the issues in the case.
