Injury

Do Most Cases Settle?

Statistically, 95% of injury cases settle before trial. This is because both plaintiff (the injured) and defendant (usually the insurance company) do not want to take the risks involved at trial. Additionally, neither party wants to spend the considerable funds necessary to litigate a case and effectively present it to a jury.

Litigation is costly and time-consuming. This forces both parties to be reasonable and evaluate what a fair settlement looks like. Cases that settle usually settle at an amount less than what a jury would award but the plaintiff does not have to take the risk or incur the expense of a trial. So chances are if you have a personal injury claim, it will settle prior to litigation.

Why Have a Jury Trial?

Jury trials happen when parties cannot agree to a fair settlement, or they disagree as to a fundamental aspect of the case such as who caused the accident. Jury trials are important because they allow a plaintiff a neutral unbias group of people to hear the facts of the case, apply the law, and evaluate damages incurred by the plaintiff such as medical bills, lost wages, pain, loss of enjoyment of life, etc.

There are some insurance companies that will always make very low settlement offers, and the plaintiff is forced to file suit and take a case to trial just to recover their damages. This is always a bad scenario because the defendant that caused the accident may know they were in the wrong and want to make it right, but their insurance company can say no, make a low or no settlement offer, and force the case to trial. Then when at trial, neither party can tell the jury what’s really happening and that the insurance company failed to make an attempt to do the right thing and settle the case.

In most cases, you cannot even use the word “insurance” even though they are ones paying the defense attorney who is making the low ball settlement offers and calling all the shots that cause the case to go into litigation. This is one of the many frustrating aspects of litigation. Really only 5% of cases go to trial so chances are if you have an injury claim it will settle prior to litigation.

Why Fair Verdicts are Important

Fair verdict awards are important because they allow the plaintiff to make a full recovery from the injuries. Many injured people’s lives are turned upside down. They’re injured, incur large medical bills, can’t work, lose their job, have a wrecked car, are in pain, and are suffering. Moreover, they didn’t do anything wrong. They were in a car at a time when someone else made a mistake and hit them. Some people end up with permanent injuries or disabilities that will last the rest of their lives, and the impact will be felt far into the future.

The right amount of compensation allows a person to repay their medical bills, recover their lost wages, and reimburse government benefits if paid due to the injury. Health insurance premiums increase for everyone when a negligent party is allowed to escape responsibility. So asking a jury for the right and the correct amount of compensation is very important.

In complicated cases, we employ experts to determine these figures. We hire vocational experts to determine wage loss and future loss and sometimes economists or accountants to calculate the math so that a jury is well informed to make an appropriate decision on calculating damages. If your case does go to a jury, we will make sure they have the information in front of them to award you appropriate damages to compensate you for your loss.

Let us Help Repair the Damage to Your Life

Hiring our firm will allow you to recover the monetary damages you need to cover medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. You can count on us to work aggressively to recover the maximum compensation you deserve from all responsible parties.

• We operate on a contingency fee policy. You don’t pay us unless we win.
• After a free consultation, we review the case thoroughly to determine if we can help. We are selective so that we can offer each case we do accept the time it needs and deserves.
• We invest time and money in each case. Our clients pay nothing out of pocket; we front the costs and fees and work hard so that they have a strong chance of a good outcome.
• With a track record that includes millions of dollars recovered, you can certainly trust our team for our experience and our success.
• Our focus is our clients. At our law firm, the client comes first, every single time. We are proud of this and committed to our reputation for fighting for our clients with compassion.

Valuing Your Personal Injury Case

Many people—including attorneys—do not have a realistic idea of what an injury is worth. For example, do you know how much a broken leg is worth? It depends on several factors, including:

• What kind of fracture?
• How much treatment was needed and how much are the medical bills?
• Did the injury heal completely, and how long did that take?
• Will there be any long-term consequences?
• How did the accident affect other aspects of the victim’s life, like working, driving, or caring for children?
• Was the accident caused by a drunk driver?
• How experienced is the attorney on the other side?
• How much insurance/assets does the at-fault party have?
• Where will the case be tried?

Only with years of experience trying and settling cases can an attorney learn how to evaluate how much each case is worth. The Law Firm of Robert C. Hahn, III has successfully handled hundreds of personal injury cases and recovered millions in settlements.

Watch What You Say

There is an old saying, “loose lips, sink ships.” We recommend you hire an attorney as soon as possible because the odds are stacked against you from the beginning. Insurance companies are pros at extracting information that benefits them and not you. We advise to not speak or give a recorded statement to an insurance company until you speak with a lawyer. It is ok and advisable to report an accident to your insurance company as soon as possible, but you do not want to discuss the accident with the opposing company or the person who caused the accidents company.

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whom you should or should not be talking with, so always ask your lawyer first. To learn more read our article on the 8 Things You Should Know About Insurance Companies.