The consolidation of plaintiffs: The effects of number of plaintiffs on jurors' liability decisions, damage awards, and cognitive processing of evidence

In this study, 135 jury-eligible adults were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 ag gregations of plaintiffs involving 1, 2, 4, 6, and 10 claimants. Jurors wer e shown a 5- to 6-hr trial involving claims of differential repetitive stre ss injuries by each plaintiff. Measures concerning liability, damages, and various cognitive and attributional factors were collected. The defendant w as more Likely to be judged as liable as the number of plaintiffs increased . Awards reached a zenith at 4 plaintiffs and then began to decrease. incre ases in the number of plaintiffs who were aggregated degraded information p rocessing. Limits of juror competence in complex trials and juror aids were discussed.