Real-Life Math
You're a trial consultant working on a civil case. A man in his 20s fell out of a local amusement park ride, the Twisted Twister, and broke his collarbone.
The attorneys for the amusement park state that the ride is safe and the man only fell out because he purposely broke his safety belt and twisted himself out of the mechanical arm that clamps into place over the shoulders and laps of riders.
Your client, the man's attorney, wants to know whether people in that community -- from which the jurors will be chosen -- are generally familiar with the Twisted Twister. Do they feel safe on it?
You are conducting a survey of the general public in the region. Along with information gained through a jury questionnaire and the voir dire, the lawyer will use the results of the survey to help decide whether to advise her client to settle out of court or go for a trial.
In your survey, you expect that:
- If the community members have mostly been on the ride and feel safe, the case may be weak and it would be best for the attorney to settle out of court.
- If the community members have mostly been on the ride but don't feel safe, the case is more likely to be strong and it is worth going to trial.
- If most people are not familiar with the ride, it is possible that your client, the plaintiff's attorney, can convince the jurors the ride is unsafe. Further investigation may be needed to find the best strategy.
- If most people are not familiar with the ride, it is possible that the defense attorney can convince the jurors the ride is safe. Further investigation may be needed to find the best strategy.
You have done your survey and have the following results:
- 65 percent -- I've been on the Twisted Twister, and I felt very safe
- 10 percent -- I've been on the Twisted Twister, and felt safe
- 4 percent -- I've been on the Twisted Twister, and felt somewhat safe
- 2 percent -- I've been on the Twisted Twister, and did not feel safe
- 12 percent -- I haven't been on the Twisted Twister, but I've heard it is safe
- 2 percent -- I haven't been on the Twisted Twister, but I've heard it is not safe
- 5 percent -- I haven't been on the Twisted Twister and I don't know if it is safe or not
How would you advise your client?
You want to present this in the most graphic way possible so the plaintiff's attorney can clearly see the results and develop her strategy. Draw a bar chart depicting these results.