You may be wondering whether to accept a settlement or proceed to trial during the legal process of seeking compensation for the losses you have suffered in a truck accident. Moreover, you may be tempted to accept the initial compensation sum to cover the mounting medical bills and other losses you have incurred after the crash. However, you should not accept the first offer from insurance companies or the liable party, especially if you have not yet consulted a lawyer. This is because insurance companies, like other businesses, don’t want to make losses and will offer you a very low amount that may not cover all your losses.
Should I agree to a settlement or proceed to trial?
Before accepting compensation, you should first hire a lawyer to help you determine the liable party in the crash, calculate the full compensation amount you need to cover all your losses and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf to get fair compensation. If the insurance company agrees to pay you the full amount that your lawyer was advocating for, then you can accept the compensation amount. When you and the liable parties decide to settle a truck accident case out of court, you will both save time and money.
Reasons why the liable party should settle the claim outside court
If the defendant is a well-known company, they can protect their reputation and insurance coverage by offering fair compensation to the plaintiff without admitting liability in public. Furthermore, a big company may be defending itself from many other lawsuits like yours and may not want to spend the time or money in trial for these cases. In such situations, it’s best for the company to reach a settlement with the plaintiff so it can move on.
Reasons why you should accept a settlement rather than go to trial
A trial is time-consuming
It can take years for a lawsuit to get to trial. Furthermore, if there is an appeal and the case is taken to a higher court, the whole process will begin again. In addition, while you are waiting, you won’t have the money to pay for your accident-related losses, including medical expenses, loss of income and vehicle repair costs.
You may have to testify
If the truck company says you were liable, you may have to answer questions about how the crash occurred. In addition, you may have to give the details of your mental or physical condition to show the judge the extent of your injuries and the amount of money you need. Some people may find testifying before strangers stressful and complicated. Moreover, when you proceed to trial, you will lose your privacy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you should accept the monetary compensation amount only after you have consulted your lawyer and the litigator is sure the money will fully cover all the losses you have suffered. However, if the liable party refuses to pay you a fair and full compensation, your lawyer will have to represent you during trial in court to fight for what’s rightfully yours.