James Cohen was quoted in a Claims Journal article regarding large settlements paid out in wrongful death lawsuits.
While settlements are expensive, cities facing lawsuits in wrongful death cases are aware of the danger of going to trial, said James Cohen, a professor at Fordham University School of Law. He said the settlement amount could be dwarfed by an award granted by a jury sympathetic to the family.
“The city is afraid that someone on that jury is a member of Black Lives Matter, even if the juror is Caucasian,” Cohen said.
