4 Reasons You May Want To Strive For A Settlement Before Trial

It isn't uncommon for personal injury cases to go to trial. However, they don't always. Usually, this is because the plaintiff decides to negotiate and accept a settlement outside of the court and before the trial takes place. There are four main reasons why you may want to consider a pre-trial payment:

1. It May Reduce Some of Your Stress.

If you have never been involved in a lawsuit before, you are likely not familiar with how things work. As a result, you are probably going to be a nervous wreck. After all, it takes a lot of time and effort to prepare for a trial. From constant examinations and cross-examinations to having your personal life pulled apart piece by piece, there are a lot of traumatic experiences that you'll have to deal with if you go to trial.

2. It Can Help Keep Your Private Life in the Shadows.

When you go to trial, every part of your life – from your daily gym workout to the company that you keep – is going to be scrutinized. This is because the other side is going to be digging into your personal life to try to find some kind of dirt on you to use against you in order to weaken your credibility. This information is then going to become public knowledge, as all details related to the trial are a matter of public record. So, if you are a person who really values your privacy, then negotiating a settlement outside of the courtroom may be something to seriously consider.

3. It Can Lead to a Quicker Conclusion of the Case.

It isn't uncommon for some personal injury cases to takes years to finalize. It is impossible to determine ahead of time exactly how long it is going to be until your individual case makes it onto the trial docket. The last thing you want is for your case to be drug out in court, especially when you're having to deal with the emotional stress of the impending trial, trying to keep your private life private and recovering from the injuries that you sustained. So, accepting an out-of-court settlement may be your best bet. 

4. It Can Help You Avoid the Unknown.

Trials are completely unpredictable. You have no idea what is going to happen. The presiding judge may throw out the evidence that you thought was going to win the case. Your primary witness could back out at the last minute. While it is possible that the jury could decide to award you more money than what you were initially offered, it is just as possible that they could find that you are owed less or nothing at all.

Ultimately, making the decision to take a settlement before going to trial is not something you need or have to do on your own. Speak to a local personal injury lawyer about the circumstances surrounding your situation and get some professional advice on how to proceed.