If a person is injured, they have two options for obtaining financial compensation for their injuries: settle with the insurance company or pursue litigation. However, just because an individual goes down the path of litigation does not mean the case will necessarily go to trial. Most injury cases settle before they ever reach the courtroom and there are a number of options available that allow both parties to resolve the matter before going to court. One such option is mediation, which is where an independent third party observer comes in and listens to both sides of the case in order to help get it resolved.
In determining which option may be most beneficial for your injury case it is important to consult with a Louisville injury lawyer who can pull all the evidence of the case together and assist in evaluating the claim to determine whether a settlement is fair or not. To learn more or discuss the options available in your case, call and schedule a consultation today.
When to Settle a Case
A person should not consider settling a case until they have discussed it thoroughly with their personal injury attorney. With that said, there are certain times when a person will want to settle a case. For example, an individual might want to settle if the cost of going forward is greater than the additional amount that they might recover by going to a jury trial. This is something that the personal injury lawyer can help with. They are able to evaluate a person’s claim and let them know if a settlement is fair. If the insurance company is willing to pay a fair settlement, everybody will be better off by getting it resolved out of court.
When to Go to Court
The question of whether a person should take a settlement offer is a decision that needs to be made with an attorney. The plaintiff and their attorney can sit down and go through all the evidence, look at similar cases that have gone to trial, and make a very educated and informed decision about what they expect the outcome of the trial to be.
When the settlement offer is too low, it is important to go to trial. People need to make sure that they are not afraid to go to trial. Going to trial is a wonderful constitutional right we have in the United States and one that keeps the insurance companies honest.
Initial Consultation
Whenever a person meets with a Louisville personal injury lawyer, it is important to bring as much information as they can to the initial consultation. Bring documents such as a copy of the police report if they have it, along with any of the initial medical papers and discharge papers from the hospital. Also, they should bring copies of their medical insurance, car insurance, and driver’s license. Additionally, they should be prepared to sign certain paperwork while there that has their date of birth and social security number on it. If they do not know their social security number, it might be important to bring their social security card as well.
