NYPD Lawsuit Settlements: A Guide

If you have a potential lawsuit against the NYPD, it’s important to know about typical NYPD lawsuit settlements.

The internet has lots of information about NYPD settlements, but the information is skewed towards the huge settlements that make the news or law firms that only publish their biggest victories to attract clients.

This NYPD lawsuit settlement guide provides an honest look into what kind of settlement you can expect. The opinions herein are based on data published by the City of New York and our experience at Cody Warner, P.C. handling many police misconduct lawsuits.

Common Claims to Get an NYPD Lawsuit Settlement

To get an NYPD lawsuit settlement, you need to have an actionable police misconduct claim. The most common police misconduct claims include:

False Arrest

A false arrest occurs when the police arrest you without having probable cause to believe you committed an offense.

Malicious Prosecution

A malicious prosecution occurs when the police commence a criminal prosecution against you without having probable cause to believe you are guilty.

Excessive Force

Excessive force occurs when the police use an unreasonable amount of force against you.

Typical Payouts for NYPD Lawsuit Settlements

Some of the most important factors that affect NYPD lawsuit settlement amounts are:

• How long you were unlawfully in jail;
• How malicious the police misconduct was; and
• The extent of any injury caused by the police.

Every case is unique, and it’s impossible for any online guide to provide pinpoint accuracy for the potential settlement value of your case. If you think you have a claim against the NYPD, contact Cody Warner, P.C., for a personalized assessment of the value of your case. That said, here is a rough guide for evaluating the value of your case against the NYPD:

$1,000,000 Settlements

Although they make headlines, million-dollar NYPD lawsuit settlements are very rare. To get a settlement of a million dollars or more, you will likely need to have been unlawfully incarcerated for years, have catastrophic injuries, or be suing on behalf of a family member who was killed by the police.

$200,000+ Settlements

Most NYPD lawsuit settlements that are over $200,000 involve serious physical injury that results in permanent injury or requires surgery.

$100,000+ Settlements

Many NYPD lawsuit settlements that are over $100,000 involve serious physical injury that required hospitalization, even if the injury is not permanent and does not require surgery.

$25,000+ Settlements

To get an NYPD Lawsuit Settlement over $25,000, your claims typically must include excessive force, many days in jail, or concrete economic losses from the police misconduct.

$10,000-$20,000 Settlements

If you were unlawfully incarcerated for approximately 24 hours, which is common for many people who are arrested and processed through central booking, you may be able to get an NYPD settlement in the $10,000-$20,000 range.

Under $10,000 Settlements

If you were unlawfully arrested but were incarcerated for only several hours and received a desk appearance ticket, your settlement offer will likely be under $10,000.

Need Help?

If you believe you have a claim against the NYPD, contact us for a free consultation. We can evaluate the specifics of your case to determine what sort of settlement offer you can expect to receive.