If you or your loved one are injured in any sort of accident, the first thing you’re going to do is get angry. You’re going to want to go after the person responsible for your injuries. If the defendant was clearly at fault, you shouldn’t be left holding the bag. The person responsible for your accident should compensate you for your injuries.
When it comes to a personal injury, most of the time, your claim will be paid by the defendant’s insurance company. However, there are times when your Houston personal injury lawyer will need to file a lawsuit. When this happens, you have two choices. First, you can work toward settling your case. Or, you can push the case and take it to trial. There are pros and cons for doing either of these things.
When you first meet with your Houston injury attorney, they’ll explain what your options are. They’ll also let you know what they think you should do. At the end of the day, the decision will be yours. Even if your attorney thinks you should settle, if you want to take your chances at trial, you have a right to do that. Likewise, your attorney won’t force you to go to court. If the defendant offers you a settlement and you want to take it, your attorney will work to make that happen.
How Many Personal Injury Cases Settle?
Believe it or not, more than 95% of all personal injury cases filed in Texas settle long before trial. Nobody wants to go to trial if they don’t have to. Trials are expensive and time consuming. They also pose the risk of loss. If you lose in court, that’s it – you get nothing. While this can be scary, there are times when this risk is necessary. Thankfully, you’ll have your Texas injury lawyer by your side to help you make this decision.
There are lots of reasons why these cases settle. Some of these include:
- The judges do not want to clog up their court docket. They encourage personal injury lawyers in Houston to settle as many cases as possible. The last thing they want to do is have a trial when it’s not necessary.
- It can be very expensive to go to trial. You need to pay filing fees in any Houston personal injury lawsuit. However, when you go to trial, you need to pay for all sorts of things, such as:
- Affidavits
- Expert witnesses
- Travel costs for witnesses, etc.
- Depositions
- Trials can take years to resolve
- Most people would rather have money up front instead of a chance of getting money down the road
What are the Cons to Settling a Houston Personal Injury Lawsuit?
While there are plenty of reasons to settle your personal injury case, there are also times when it makes sense to go to trial. Some of these reasons include:
- The defendant may not be willing to settle
- The settlement offer may be too low
- The defendant doesn’t have the money to offer a lump sum settlement
- You would rather get some money now rather than nothing down the road
The other thing about settling your case is that it isn’t always the best move. If you have a really strong case and the defendant isn’t budging, you need to take your chances. Ultimately, your attorney will do what you want to do. But they will always have your best interest at heart.
Contact an Experienced Attorney for Your Houston Personal Injury Lawsuit
If you believe you have a claim against any third party, you may need to file a Houston personal injury lawsuit. This may be the only way to recover the damages you deserve. And, your best chances of winning your case is to have a skilled injury lawyer by your side. They have the knowledge and expertise to know when and how to settle a personal injury lawsuit.
You should call an experienced injury lawyer in Houston right away if you’ve been injured in any sort of accident. You can schedule your free initial consultation. This gives you the chance to sit down with someone who’s handled plenty of cases just like yours. They can also answer any questions you may have. The consultation is free and you don’t pay anything until you win your case.
The other great thing about having a skilled attorney by your side is that they know how to negotiate. They deal with insurance adjusters all the time. They know what it takes to get their clients the money they deserve. And, they understand when it’s time to push the envelope and when it’s time to call it a day and settle your case. Call today and schedule your initial consultation.