Many law firms and lawyers will claim to have a client’s best interest at heart and be willing to advocate furiously for their client’s case. However, when push comes to shove, many of these same attorneys also advocate for alternative dispute resolution and settlement of a case. There are instances when settlement is merited and is truly the best option for a client. However, when filing a personal injury case, the plaintiff needs to know that his or her lawyers are willing to take a case to trial.
Current Statistics on Personal Injury Cases and Settlement
The United States court system has reached a point where only four or five percent of personal injury cases ever see the inside of a courtroom. Lawyers in Longview, TX know that this statistic means a massive majority of the personal injury cases that come into their office are settled through pretrial means. The defense attorneys, who defend the negligent party or represent the insurance company, also know that there is a very small chance the case will go to court. This has skewed the civil court system and the outcomes for plaintiffs.
Benefits of Going to Trial Compared to Settlement
As stated, taking a case to trial is not the right strategy in every instance; however, in order to do the best thing for clients, lawyers cannot be opposed to it. If you browse our website, you will see that the firm of Martin Walker is ready and willing to go to court. Additionally, in many instances a trial can mean a better outcome for clients. It can mean a better result financially, emotionally, and mentally.
Many defense attorneys and insurance representatives anticipate that a plaintiff will want to avoid the time and cost necessary to proceed to trial, and therefore offer an unfair settlement to end the case early. This is true even if the plaintiff has a strong case. However, when trial commences the outcome is left in the hands of an impartial jury, which will determine compensation based on the facts and not leverage.
