Should you settle or file a lawsuit?

 

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There are so many different paths to take tactically when pursing a personal injury lawsuit.   But, in the end, our lawyers present our clients with one of two choices: settle the case or keep moving forward.    In a personal injury case, there are five key times where the settle or move forward decision is presented. Each one presents its own opportunities and pitfalls.

1.       Immediately After the Accident/Malpractice

Invariably, this is the worst time to try to settle a case.   Insurance companies are simply not going to offer anything resembling fair value at this stage.   There are few absolutes in making the decision to settle a claim.  But this is one of them.  Settling a case shortly after an accident, or incident in the case of medical malpractice claims, is just plain foolish. 

2.       After Submitting a Demand Package to the Insurance Company

Few malpractice cases settle at this stage.  But this is the stage at which most personal injury car accident cases reach a settlement.   Should you settle your accident case at this point or go to the next step and file a lawsuit?   Obviously, it depends on the offer and the facts of the case.  But the take home message we give to our personal injury clients over 90% of the time is that the amount of money awarded by the jury as opposed to offered by the insurance company is going to be higher.   How much higher?  The gap is likely to be related to the size of the case.  The more serious the case, the larger the gap between the settlement offer and the real value of the case. 

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3.      After Filing a Lawsuit

After a lawsuit is filed, another potential opportunity to settle your case arises.   At this point, the insurance company realizes both you and your lawyer are serious about pursing the claim beyond the settlement stage.   Often, a different offer comes after the lawsuit has been initiated.  

This logic holds even greater force for companies that do not have in-house counsel and instead have to hire outside lawyers. These lawyers are more expensive for the insurance company so, as a consequence, why is outside counsel less likely to initiate settlement talks?  Let’s just say that outside attorneys get paid by the hour.  

Obviously, for most personal injury cases, you can hire a lawyer to file your lawsuit and begin the necessary preparations to get your case ready for trial. The downside to this is obvious: attorneys' fees which can cost 40% of your recovery.  It is no small consideration.  If you are filing a lawsuit in a serious injury case, there is no doubt that you need a lawyer.  There are, in Maryland and elsewhere, complexities to filing a lawsuit and marshaling evidence that would be virtually impossible to do without a good deal of experience. It is not just victims: lawyers who try to handle personal injury cases with just a little bit of experience often screw up their cases beyond repair because they don't understand the technical requirements of what has to be done. 

4.      Pre-Trial Conference/Mediation

Before a trial, lawyers and parties are required in Maryland and in most jurisdictions to attend a pretrial.  The pretrial is typically between a few and several months before trial.  It is the first opportunity for everyone to sit down and discuss settlement. In many cases, there are also opportunities after discovery to have a mediation where both sides sit together and try to reach a settlement.   Most personal injury lawsuits settle during or shortly after a pretrial conference or mediation.

5.       The Courthouse Stepsjury

If a case cannot reach a settlement, the final gut check comes on the day of trial and throughout the trial.  Our law firm has settled many of our larger cases just before the trial begins or, as is more often the case, in the middle of the trial.    Your leverage is highest for settlement when letting the case go to trial.  The downside is the risk of a complication at trial and the costs associated with trying the case, most notably the cost of bringing medical doctors to testify.

6.      Post-Verdict

We have settled cases that we have won and cases that we have lost after a verdict, usually because either our lawyers or the defense counsel believes there is a real risk of reversal of the verdict on appeal.   In large verdict cases, the Plaintiff sometimes looks for an immediate resolution of the case as opposed to waiting for the case to drag through the appellate process. 

     Our Maryland personal injury attorneys handle accident, product liability and malpractice cases in Maryland and, in particularly serious cases, throughout the country. If you have been injured by a defective drug or product, medical malpractice, or a truck accident, car accident, or motorcycle accident, call to speak to one of our lawyers at 800-553-8082 or select here for a free no obligation consultation.

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     Our accident and malpractice lawyers handle personal injury accident and malpractice cases in Maryland but also throughout the country. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious personal injury as the result of the negligence of someone else, call our personal injury lawyers at 800-553-8082 or get a free on-line consultation.