What Is An Out-Of-Court Settlement?

The term out-of-court settlement refers to a legal arrangement resolving a claim outside the judicial system. Sometimes, the parties involved agree to settle out-of-court before the trial begins, and sometimes they come to an agreement while on trial before the jury’s final verdict.

Generally, the negotiations between the parties to reach a settlement are done with a car accident lawyer’s assistance. A legal representative may help you save money and time by avoiding filing a lawsuit and resolve the matter outside court.

Insurance companies prefer to come to an agreement out-of-court and avoid any extra legal expenses. An out-of-court settlement procedure does not require hiring a lawyer. However, an auto accident attorney can help you ensure that the settlement offered to you is fair and negotiate on your behalf if that is not the case.

If you or someone you love were involved in a car accident and need to decide whether to accept a settlement offer, you should consult a South Carolina auto accident attorney.

You should not accept a settlement before examining and understanding the extent of your injuries and the therapy required. You must ensure that the agreement you make will satisfy your current and future medical needs related to your car accident.

This article discusses the pros and cons of out-of-court settlement and the factors you should consider before you decide if you will take your case to court or not.

Pros And Cons Of Out-Of-Court Settlement

Most of the vehicle accident cases are settled out-of-court. The primary reason is that settling out-of-court is substantially faster. Moreover, settling outside the judicial system costs less. If the at-fault driver’s car insurance company offers you a settlement, it is guaranteed that you will get your money. However, you may find yourself accepting less than you deserve, and your future financial needs resulting from the car accident will not be covered.

Pros And Cons of Taking Your Case To Court

Many automobile accident cases settle out-of-court. However, most of these traffic accidents are relatively minor. If you or someone you care about were involved in a car accident and suffered severe injuries, then settling out-of-court may not be the best option for you.

It may take a lot of time to resolve your car accident case through court, sometimes even more than a year. At the same time, going to court will cost you a lot more money than settling your case outside of it. Furthermore, going to court can be a significantly stressful procedure for some people. During the judicial process, all upsetting details of the car accident and a detailed description of life-threatening injuries can be severely distressing.

Moreover, there is always the possibility that the trial may not conclude in your favor, and it may result in much less compensation than what was offered to you in settlement or even nothing at all.

Nevertheless, taking your car accident case to court may result in getting the compensation you deserve and cover all your damages. Usually, insurance companies try to pay as little as possible, and the only way to get the amount you are entitled to recover your injuries is by taking your case to court.

How Long Does It Take To Settle A Vehicle Accident Case?

The time range for a traffic accident case to be resolved is between some months to a couple of years. People suffering injuries from a car accident are usually worried about how long their case will go on. It depends on the circumstances and the way the case is handled. The following factors may affect the timeline of resolving a case:

• Litigation or settlement – Settlement is almost always faster than litigation.
• Determining who is at-fault – When the responsible party for the accident is easily determined, the procedure of resolving a case can be faster.
• Calculation of damages – Some damages are easy to calculate, and some need long back and forth negotiations between your lawyer and the insurance company.

Contact A Car Accident Lawyer In Greenville, SC

Whatever you may decide to do, setting your case out-of-court or not, consulting a car accident lawyer is mandatory. You should seek the guidance of an experienced auto accident attorney to help you understand your legal options and protect your rights to full compensation. Depending on the severity of your injuries and the existence of evidence, a car accident lawyer will help you evaluate whether you should accept an out-of-court settlement or not.

Call us today at Brumback and Langley law firm for your free consultation.