Nuclear verdicts are reshaping consumer costs. Jury awards exceeding $10 million have surged dramatically, with 49 thermonuclear verdicts above $100 million recorded in 2024 alone. Third-party litigation funding has exploded to $16.1 billion in assets under management, nearly doubling from $9.5 billion in 2019. This capital influx creates perverse incentives for sprawling litigation strategies designed to maximize settlement leverage rather than clarify legal merit. These litigation expenses ultimately flow into equipment prices, insurance premiums, and consumer goods costs. Recent antitrust cases against fire truck manufacturers illustrate this dynamic, though rising prices and supply chain disruptions may better explain market conditions than collusion allegations.
