Are you considering settling your personal injury case out of court? It might help you to know that most personal injury cases are resolved. That makes sense because for most cases, settling out of court is beneficial to both parties.
At the end of the day, it is better for everyone to avoid litigating a case in court. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider settling out of court:
Litigation is Expensive
Litigation is expensive. That’s not a possibility, that’s a fact. Are you ready to spend a great deal of money for that? Understandably, there are cases that should go to court. Those are the cases that are matters of principle and are meant to prove a point. But if that is not the case for you, then you can avoid costs by settling.
This is why it makes sense for you to take advantage of services for judicial arbitration and mediation.
Trials Can be Stressful
A personal injury trial, on average, will not last very long, but that does not mean it is not stressful. You are going to be subjected to cross-examination on the witness stand, and that experience is bound to cause a great deal of stress for you. Being publicly scrutinized is never going to be a fun experience.
You can avoid all of that by settling.
Damages Cannot Be Predicted
There is simply no predicting what damages a jury will award the plaintiff. You may end up with more money than what the defendant is offering to settle the case, or you can get a lot less. So, if you decide to go ahead with the litigation and you are awarded less money, then you can lose an opportunity.
That doesn’t mean that you settle with the first offer that they give out. You should consider what your needs are and what they are offering carefully.
The Appeals Process Can Prolong the Whole Thing
Even if you do win a trial, the other party has the right to appeal it, just as you have the right to appeal in case the other side wins. The whole process can take years. Are you ready to go through all of that?
Settlements are Private
The thing about settlements is that they can be private. You can choose to keep the details of the settlement to remain private. Now, that is not the case with a trial. The only time the details of a trial is going to be private is if the judge orders the records of the trial sealed and that’s not going to happen for most personal injury cases.
Usually, during a trial, each side would try to make the other look as bad, so you may not want those details to go public.
These are just some of the reasons why settling out of court makes a great deal of sense for most cases. There are cases when these advantages would not apply. If you want the case to go to court, then you can consult your lawyer for the right steps to follow.