DecisionQuest and DRI--The Voice of the Defense Bar--Jury Poll Reveals Americans' Attitudes Toward Litigation on Discrimination, Obesity/Fast-food, and Environment.

Business Editors/Legal Writers

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 2003

Findings from two recent nationwide studies of juror attitudes by DecisionQuest, a company wholly owned by Bowne & Co., and DRI--The Voice of the Defense Bar (DRI), reveal new insights into some of today's most pressing litigation issues facing Corporate America. The research, to be announced tomorrow at DRI's annual meeting in Washington, DC, sheds light on juror views regarding three prominent corporate litigation issues: workplace discrimination, fast-food, and the environment. The studies also reveal a surprising pro-corporate stance among young Americans.

"Perhaps most interesting about these studies was that, on the whole, jurors with more money, youth, and education tended to side with Corporate America on a range of litigation issues, pointing to what may become a generational backlash against frivolous lawsuits and 'victim mentality,'" said DecisionQuest CEO Dr. Philip Anthony.

On workplace discrimination lawsuits, the findings showed that most American jurors, particularly those ages 18-24, believe corporations have done a good job fighting discrimination and promoting diversity.

The findings also showed that most American jurors do not support lawsuits against fast-food companies for causing obesity. However, more than half of jurors believe fast-food companies should not be able to target children and one-third believe companies should have warned consumers of the possible risks associated with eating their food.

"Jurors might believe a lawsuit against fast-food companies for causing obesity is ridiculous, yet they could support a lawsuit that punishes the company for not warning customers about the food's fat content. It's these shades of gray, an almost gap in logic, that is providing a large enough hole for plaintiffs to possibly garner multi-million dollar awards," said Anthony.

Jurors' attitudes on environmental litigation were the strongest against Corporate America. The overwhelming majority of jurors stated they would side with an environmental group in any given litigation, and a third of jurors believe corporations should have to compensate perfectly healthy individuals for "speculative damages" in the event they may become sick in the future as a result of having been exposed to the company's product.

Jurors' attitudes on issues include:

Discrimination:

-- 72 percent believe Corporate America has done an adequate to

very good job fighting discrimination and promoting diversity

in the workplace. The young particularly agree, with 52

percent of those ages 18-24 rating corporations good to very

good on the issue.

-- 81 percent believe it is important to know if there are

minorities among the senior managers and directors of a

company faced with a discrimination claim.

Obesity and fast-food:

-- 89 percent do not support lawsuits against fast-food companies

by customers who claim to have become obese eating their food.

However, 24 percent of those earning less than $30,000 and 18

percent of those who have less than a high school degree

support the lawsuits.

-- 83 percent do not feel that fast-food companies are

responsible for addicting their customers to fatty foods.

However, 27 percent of those earning less than $20,000 per

year and 29 percent of high school dropouts believe that

fast-food companies are responsible for addicting their

customers.

-- 36 percent feel that fast-food companies should have warned

their customers about possible risks associated with eating

their food. Of note, 45 percent of those making less than

$30,000 per year, 54 percent of high school dropouts, and 48

percent of those in racial minority groups agree.

-- 56 percent believe fast-food companies should not be allowed

to target children in their advertisements because children

don't know that fast food may be bad for them. Among those

making less than $20,000 per year, 67 percent agree. Of those,

63 percent of those ages 50 and older agree while only 44

percent of those ages 18-24 agree.

Environment:

-- 52 percent believe people who think they have become sick from

breathing pollution generated by manufacturing facilities

should be compensated by the companies who released the fumes,

even if there is little evidence that the fumes released into

the air by that company have harmed anyone. Of note, 23

percent of those with less than a high school education agree

with this statement, compared to only six percent of those who

have their bachelor's degree. Additionally, 64 percent of

those in racial minority groups, and 68 percent of those

earning less than $20,000 per year agree.

-- 79 percent would side with the environmental group in a case

brought by an environmental group against a corporation for

violating pollution laws.

-- 35 percent think that corporations should have to compensate

healthy individuals who think they may become sick in the

future as a result of having been exposed to the company's

product that contains hazardous elements just in case he/she

becomes sick in the future. Of note, 60 percent of those with

less than a high school-level education agree, compared to 31

percent of those who have gone beyond high school. Among those

in racial minority groups, 50 percent agree, compared to only

28 percent of whites. Among people earning less than $20,000

per year, 43 percent agree, compared to 27 percent of those

earning $100,000 or more.

"Corporate America understands all too well that common sense alone does not always win in the courtroom. It needs to understand where jurors come from, who they are, and what they expect," said Sheryl Willert, president of DRI.

The research, led by DecisionQuest's Galina Davidoff, Ph.D., was based on the combined findings of two national surveys. The first was a phone survey of 1,101 jury-eligible participants from around the country and Puerto Rico, conducted in September. The second was a survey of 1,018 in-person interviews in 18 states conducted as part of DecisionQuest's ongoing research from June through September. The complete surveys will be released later this fall.

Los Angeles-based Bowne DecisionQuest is the nation's leading trial consulting firm and specializes in jury research, demonstrative exhibits, jury selection, courtroom technology, litigation software, and strategic communications. DecisionQuest is a strategic communications firm which applies the rigors of social science research and the persuasive powers of multimedia graphic design to the problems faced by law firms, corporations and public agencies. The company has more than 160 employees and 20 offices nationwide, including those in Dallas, Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC. DecisionQuest can be accessed via the Internet at http://www.decisionquest.com.

DRI--The Voice of the Defense Bar, is the national organization of more than 21,000 defense trial lawyers and corporate counsel. DRI provides numerous educational and informational resources to members and offers many opportunities for liaison among defense trial lawyers, Corporate America, and state and local defense organizations. DRI also has an international presence, seeking to enhance understanding of the law among members of the defense community who have reason to be concerned with the expanding globalization of litigation defense. The organization can be reached at www.dri.org.