Will My Case Go To Court?
During and after a car accident, it is natural to think about the financial and legal ramifications that may affect you in the future. Car accidents can be expensive, depending on the circumstances of the accident and the damage incurred. If you have questions about what to do after a car accident, please refer to these pages.
Many times, car accident cases do not go to trial. In most circumstances, both the insurance companies and any attorneys involved in a car accident case will have an idea of the value of each auto accident case. Different types of injuries generally incur different costs of treatment, and the potential costs and settlements are weighed against the cost of taking the case to trial. In many cases, the attorneys and insurance companies agree to a settlement that is more financially prudent, considering the addition of court costs and legal fees that can accompany court hearings which may only give the same outcome, or a less favorable outcome, than a private settlement.
In order to help your case, it is important to keep a thorough record of what happened during the car accident. Photos and videos of the accident are valuable evidence of what happened in the accident. Exchanging insurance information, calling the police and filing a report, and documenting exactly what you experienced will help the case proceed more smoothly. A complete record of the accident and description of events may help your case during the settlement negotiations.
For this reason, many auto accident cases settle before actually reaching trial, saving court costs, and the headache of actually going before a judge or jury. This allows the plaintiff and defendant to reach a compromise about which they both agree, although settlements rarely satisfy all of each party’s desires. At times, an adjuster is unable to receive approval for a sufficient payout; other times, the insurance company thinks that the plaintiff is overvaluing the case and would prefer to participate in a trial. However, most auto accident cases are settled before reaching trial.
