A large number of personal injury lawsuits are settled out of court, without a judge or jury ruling. This happens because of the time and expense of bringing a trial to completion. It can take years, and especially for defendants, who have to pay their lawyers as the trial continues, it can be extremely expensive.
However, settling out of court isn’t a bad outcome for a plaintiff, because what he or she needs is the settlement money, to cover the costs incurred from the injury, and settlements can be resolved much sooner than a jury trial.
A settlement negotiation is another area in which an experienced personal injury lawyer’s expertise comes to bear. Usually, these negotiations can last weeks or even months, with the defendant’s lawyers making an offer, and you and your lawyers determining whether or not the offer is acceptable, and an often contentious back-and-forth process.
This often leads to the question: when do you and your lawyer agree to accept a settlement offer?
The answer to that question will differ greatly from case to case, depending on the gravity of the injuries incurred, the strength of the case (how strong the claim is), and more often than you would think, the personalities involved. When you have a truly excellent attorney, you can bet that he or she will not advise you to accept the wrong offer.
Remember that your lawyer won’t get paid unless you do, so they have a vested interest in making sure that you get the right settlement. Furthermore, going into the case, your lawyer will discuss with you what reasonable expectations should be, and what costs were incurred in your injury.
When it comes down to it, a good South Bend personal injury lawyer will make sure that the negotiations won’t end until you’ve gotten the justice you deserve.
