Hoboken train accident Hoboken, NJ (Oct. 1, 2016). NTSB Photo by Chris O'Neil.

This year's compilation of the 20 largest personal injury recoveries includes awards reported by the Law Journal between Sept. 21, 2020, and Aug. 1, 2021.

Though the list is intended to include trial verdicts as well as settlements, this year all of the top recoveries are settlements. That is primarily because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that it was very difficult to hold trials.

The awards here total about $73 million, which is a much lower sum than usual. In the last four years, the totals have topped out at $270 million (unusually high), $189 million, $207 million and $97 million, respectively.