The majority of personal injury cases will never actually get to trial. There are plenty of reasons for this. Settling the lawsuit out of court tends to be advantageous for both the claimant and the defendant, so both parties are usually eager to bring the case to an end before it hits the courtroom.
The following are some of the top advantages of settling personal injury claims out of court:
- Trials are expensive. The longer a personal injury case goes, the more the injured party is responsible for paying in legal fees. Because trials and appeals can stretch out for an absurdly long time, it’s usually in the best interest of the injured party to reach a settlement so they get a larger percentage of the earnings in the case and to reduce the financial strain the case takes on them.
- Trials are stressful. While the trial itself will likely take only a few days, the process can be quite stressful for both parties, especially the injured party, who likely isn’t going to be used to having to deal with the examination and cross-examination that a trial involves. They may also have to deal with public scrutiny and having their character called into question.
- Liability and damages aren’t as predictable. There is some element of control that remains in settlements, because both parties can negotiate and come to an agreement that they find reasonable. In a trial, that decision is left up to a judge or jury.
- Settlements are private. If you want to avoid having your case publicized, a settlement means no one can know the terms of your agreement unless you decide to divulge that information. The details of your case will also be kept out of the public eye.
The Bradenton personal injury lawyers at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh have years of experience reaching favorable settlements for their clients.