quotient verdict

/kwowshant vardikt/ A verdict resulting from agreement whereby each juror writes down amount of damages to which he thinks party is entitled and such amounts are then added together and divided by number of jurors. Index Drilling Co. v. Williams, 242 Miss. 775, 137 So.2d 525, 530.

A chance verdict such that no juror knows what the verdict will be when he submits his vote on damages because the final amount is calculated by a preagreed formula. Freight Terminals, Inc. v. Ryder System, Inc., C.A.Tex., 461 F.2d 1046, 1053.

While the general rule is that the use of a quotient verdict is improper and constitutes grounds for a new trial, Niebla v. Flying Tigers, Inc., Fla.App., 533 So.2d 816, it has been held that evidence that the jury utilized the quotient verdict process at some point in their deliberations was not fatal to the verdict, so long as the figure reached was discussed by the jury and agreed upon as a fair expression of their opinion, McKay v. City of Tulsa, Okl., 763 P.2d 703, 705, 706; and, is not objectionable if, after it is determined, the jury deliberates further and accepts the result as just, National R.R. Passenger Corp. v. Two Parcels of Land, One 1691 Sq. Foot More or Less Parcel of Land in Town of New London, New London County and State of Conn., C.A. Conn., 822 F.2d 1261, 1268.