For most people, the idea of having to go to court for anything is frightening. Even when it comes to their own car accident case, it can be a scary prospect. When our Augusta car accident lawyers first meet with a potential client, they try to put them at ease. We explain to them that the odds of them having to go to court are slim. This is because more than 95% of all personal injury lawsuits are settled long before trial. However, even though this is the case, that doesn’t mean your case will settle.
You have to prepare for the worst possible outcome. It wouldn’t be fair for us to promise a client that they won’t have to appear before a judge or jury. After all, if you sue somebody, there’s always the chance you’ll have to face them inside the walls of a county courthouse.
Here, we will explain why so many car accident cases settle. We’ll also discuss what happens if your case does go to trial. The important thing to remember is that your personal injury lawyer in Georgia will be by your side the entire time. Our team has decades of combined experience. They know how the insurance companies work and they know the law. They’ll handle the legal side of things while you focus on recovering from your injuries.
Why Would Your Lawyer Want You to Settle Your Car Accident Case?
If you ask any personal injury lawyer in Georgia, they’ll tell you that they’d much rather settle a client’s car accident case rather than go to trial. Trials can be expensive and time consuming. It can take years to get your car accident case before a judge. Normally, a civil court judge’s docket is crowded. However, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, their calendars are more crowded than ever.
Another reason why it’s important to try to settle your car accident case is that it’s guaranteed money. If you go to trial, you could lose. If that happens, you’ll walk away with nothing. There’s also the chance that the defendant can prove that you were partially at fault. If this happens, your damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
In Georgia, the courts follow something called the comparative negligence rule. This rule dictates that a plaintiff’s damages will be reduced by their percentage of fault. If your initial demand was $100,000 and the court finds you to be 30% at fault, your damages will be reduced by $30,000.
Trials in Georgia Are Very Expensive
Your car accident case is only as good as the evidence you have to support it. Depending on what happened in the hours and days following your crash, your evidence could be very strong or very weak. Your Augusta car accident lawyer will do their best to keep costs down. However, in order to prove your case, they’re going to have to present proof that the defendant was negligent.
Part of preparing your car accident case involves talking to witnesses. It requires your personal injury lawyer in Georgia to meet with experts and see if they’re willing to testify. It may even involve depositions which require your attorney to hire a court reporter to document the meeting. All these things cost money. You could run up several thousand dollars in additional costs – and that’s before you walk into the courtroom.
Once your car accident case appears on the judge’s calendar, you’ll be ordered to attend mediation. If you manage to resolve the matter through the court’s interventionists, you may avoid additional costs. Unfortunately, you may have to pay for private mediation. This will cost several thousand dollars as well. This adds up. By the time you’re ready for trial, you may have spent about $20,000. You will have to pay your attorney back for any monies they spent preparing your car accident case.
There’s Always the Chance that Your Car Accident Case Will Go to Trial
As much as your attorney wants to avoid trial, there are times when trial is the only option. Some insurance companies are adamant about going to court. Since they already have a legal team working for them, it doesn’t cost them anything to defend their claim in court.
The way the insurance adjuster sees it, they have nothing to lose. If your claim is big, the worst case for them is being ordered to pay your claim in full. Anything short of that is a victory for them. Even though they had the option to settle, they may feel they can walk away paying less if they see things through to the end.
Your Personal Injury Lawyer in Georgia Will Try to Avoid Going to Court
Your Augusta car accident lawyer is well aware of the fact that you don’t want to go to court. Their goal is to settle your car accident case. If they manage to do this, you’ll receive a lump sum settlement. You’ll be able to pay any outstanding bills related to the crash. You’ll also have the money to pay for any future medical care you need.
Schedule Your Free Consultation with an Augusta Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you’ve recently been involved in a car accident, there’s a good chance you were injured. If so, then you may have a legitimate claim for damages. The only way to know for sure is to call and speak with one of our Augusta car accident lawyers. They will review your car accident case and let you know what they think it’s worth. They’ll also look to see who the insurance company is.
If it’s one that they worked with in the past, they’ll let you know. This can be good news, or it can be bad news. Certain insurance companies are more willing to negotiate a fair settlement while others stick to their guns. The problem is that insurance companies often have a team of in-house attorneys. This means they aren’t paying any additional money to defend the claim.
Knowing this, you should be more convinced than ever that you need a personal injury lawyer in Georgia. Call our office today and schedule your free, initial consultation. Since you don’t pay anything until we settle your car accident case, you have nothing to lose.
