A single car accident can lead to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands in medical bills, it can require a lengthy hospital stay, it can destroy a vehicle worth tens of thousands, and it can cause the injured to lose months, if not years of income as they recover.
When a car accident involves catastrophic injuries, which are characterized as injuries that involve multiple surgeries and/or a lengthy rehabilitation, the damages (money for financial losses) will be much higher than a standard car accident.
When someone is seriously injured in such an accident, they will often ask themselves, "Will my car accident case go to court?" More than likely the case will never see the inside of a courtroom, and there are reasons for this.
Over 90 Percent of Cases Reach a Settlement
Over 90 percent of personal injury claims settle outside of court, and car accident claims are no exception. Settling outside of court offers many advantages to the plaintiff (injured party) and the defendant (at-fault party), therefore, few cases go to trial.
Defendants usually pay their legal fees out-of-pocket. Attorney fees, lengthy depositions, accident reconstruction experts and expert witnesses get expensive. Not only that, but juries are unpredictable. So, it's usually more cost-effective to agree to a settlement rather than a defendant taking their chances in court.
Plaintiffs benefit from settlements as well. While they often enter contingency fee arrangements where they don't pay their attorneys unless they win, they still benefit from settlements. Why? One reason is because their attorney fees, court costs and other legal fees are taken out of their settlement or jury award.
The more these expenses can be driven down, the more of their settlement they get to keep. Plus, when a plaintiff accepts a settlement, they receive their money much faster than if their case went to a trial. Occasionally, an insurance company will deny a claim or they won't agree to a reasonable settlement and a trial is in the plaintiff's best interests.
To file a personal injury claim, use our directory to find a local car accident lawyer!