Understanding Personal Injury Law

Injured In An Accident? 4 Reasons Why You Might Want To Accept A Settlement Offer

20 June 2016

Celina Nichols

If you've been injured in an accident that was not your fault, you want to receive compensation for your pain and suffering. Once you've healed from your injuries, the insurance company will start negotiating a settlement with you. If you have an attorney, they'll enter into negotiations with your attorney, who will be acting on your behalf.

If your attorney can't get the insurance company to reach a fair and amicable agreement, it might become necessary to take your case to court. In most cases, it's better to negotiate a settlement without heading to court. Here are four reasons why it might be beneficial for you to accept a negotiated settlement instead of taking the case to court.

Resolve the Case Quicker

Waiting for a personal injury case to proceed through the court system can be time consuming, especially if the courts in your area have a backlog. You could be waiting months or even years for your case to finally go to trial. In the meantime, if you've been unable to work, your bills are stacking up and your finances are falling apart. When you accept a settlement, you can resolve the matter quicker, which means you can get on with your life and put the accident behind you.

Secure a Guaranteed Settlement

When you take a personal injury case to trial, you have no guarantee that you'll win. If you do win, you have no guarantee that you'll be awarded more than what the insurance company was offering you. Accepting a settlement offer means that you have a guaranteed settlement that you can use to rebuild your life.

Save Money on Legal Fees

If you've hired an attorney, you'll be paying for their services. If they're able to negotiate a fair and amicable settlement, you'll spend less on your legal fees. However, if the case has to go to trial, it will require additional work for your attorney, which means the legal fees will go up. You can ensure that you keep more of your settlement money by accepting a settlement offer.

Maintain Your Privacy

If you don't want the details of your accident to be made public, it would be in your best interest to accept a settlement from the insurance company. Settlements are kept entirely private, which means the details will not be made public. However, if your case proceeds to trial, all of the details will become a matter of public record.

If you've been injured in an accident, the information provided above will help you determine if accepting a settlement is in your best interest. If you have questions about your case, be sure to speak to professionals like Clearfield & Kofsky .

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