The majority of people involved in a legal battle never make it to the courtroom. That is because many legal cases are settled pretrial. Approximately only 2% of personal injury tort cases actually go to trial, the rest are handled outside of the courtroom. There are many reasons that your legal case may not make it to court. It is usually recommended by the attorney to settle pretrial. However, settling too early in pretrial can be a mistake. Always take the following points into consideration when you are thinking of accepting a legal settlement.
The specifics of the legal case
Sometimes legal cases are not very cut and dry. A semi truck accident attorney may recommend settling pre trial because there is little evidence of foul practice. If your case is based on the fact that your employer did little in terms of semi truck maintenance, the outcome of trial will really depend on how much evidence you have. Sometimes, the semi truck accident attorney will push for a settlement, because they are unsure about taking it to court with little evidence. However, if you have solid evidence of foul practice, taking it to court may be more beneficial.
Is the settlement amount fair and just?
When you suffer a personal injury, you are subject to compensation. The compensation is supposed to cover any vehicle losses, time off work, medical costs, and any pain and suffering. Although some costs can be easy to establish, including the cost of your vehicle or specific medical costs, other can be more difficult to put a price on. If your semi truck accident attorney does not negotiate enough compensation for your pain and suffering, you can request to a counter offer. However, it is important to be prepared that the other party may turn it down and choose to go to trial instead.
Cost of trial
Perhaps the most common reason for settling in pre trial is the high costs of a trial. Not only will you be forced to miss even more work, you will also have to continue paying your truck accident lawyer. Most truck wreck attorneys and injury attorneys work by the hour. Taking a legal case into trial means that you will also be billed for representation time and research time, in preparation for the trial. This can get very expensive. The annual cost of civil lawsuits alone to the U.S. economy is $239 billion. Evaluate your requested amount and then compare it to what you will pay to take your semi truck accident attorney to trial.
Was wrongful death involved?
Auto accidents and especially semi truck accidents can lead to wrongful death. If you are fighting a legal case on behalf of a loved one, the compensation may not be your priority. When wrongful death is involved, you may or may not want to take it to trial. You can usually get more compensation and charges against the cause of the accident by going to trial, but you will also be forced to drag out the difficult situation even longer. Your wrongful death attorney will usually give you an expected amount of compensation. If you do not receive this settlement amount, you and your attorney should decide if going to trial is right for your legal case.
There are 3 million people injured every year in car accident on U.S. roads. These truck and auto related injuries come from drunk driving, distracted driving, and poorly maintained vehicles. When you are severely injured in an auto or truck accident, you may be owed compensation. If you were not at fault, the other party should cover your vehicle expenses, medical costs, and injury costs. This usually involves hiring a personal injury attorney and opening a lawsuit. The chances are low that the case will make it in front of a jury in trial. However, if you have the option to settle out of court, it is important to evaluate your settlement and understand your legal options to make the best decision.