Most personal injury claims settle before reaching a jury trial. However, if you can't reach an acceptable settlement offer, you may need to go to court.
Sometimes a jury trial will grant you a much higher compensation amount than a settlement would; but the process of going to court can be long, tiresome, and expensive. While you shouldn’t settle too soon or for less than you deserve, most of the time you can be fairly compensated in a good settlement without going to trial.
If you do go to trial, you'd likely need to testify about the context of your injury and the pain and loss you’ve suffered (financial and otherwise). Expert witnesses, like doctors, would also testify on your behalf.
Even if you don’t reach a jury trial, the court may still be involved in your case. Sometimes in order to get insurance companies to act on your claim, you need to initiate litigation — that is, file a formal complaint in a civil court. Besides settlements or trials, a personal injury case can sometimes also be resolved through arbitration or mediation.
Insurance companies will do everything within their power to delay your case, deny your case, or to pay you as little as they can get away with. That's why presenting your case to a court is sometimes necessary to hold them accountable and move the claim forward.
Don't fall for insurance companies' delay tactics or low settlement offers. Call us today at 816-842-7100 to speak with an attorney that will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Or you can click here to email us and schedule your free consultation.