Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Injured in an auto accident? Here’s what you should know about an out of court settlement vs. going to court…

If you are involved in a Georgia car accident, one of the major questions you may have is whether to choose an out of court settlement or sue in court. Making a choice can be a daunting task. However, the fact is that most victims resolve their car accident insurance claims via a settlement without any lawsuit being filed.

Yet, there can be advantages if you file a lawsuit and let a judge or jury determine your case. According to Columbus, GA accident lawyers, all injury cases are not alike. Therefore, it would be prudent to understand the pros and cons of both options.

An Out of Court Settlement

Advantages

There are a few distinct benefits of an out of court settlement. This includes:
  • You can most likely be paid quicker.
  • The legal expenses are significantly lower.
  • You do not have to attend several court proceedings such as hearings, trial, and depositions.
  • Avoid unpredictable jury decisions and the possibility of not earning any compensation if you lose the trial.
Initiate Settlement with a Demand Letter

A demand letter is the customary way to settle injury claims. However, this requires plenty of preparation that includes gathering evidence and other paperwork. You will need to request your healthcare provider to provide all your medical records.

This might take a few months and medical providers might charge you a fee for making the records available. According to Georgia accident attorneys, in case you missed work, you will need to gather relevant employment records that indicate your usual working hours and the salary received prior to the injury.

After gathering the relevant records, the next step is to draft a concise and well-written demand letter. Narrate all the incidents and details concerned with the injury, such as how the auto accident occurred, details of witnesses, and the precise amount spent on medical treatment, if possible. Columbia, GA accident lawyers recommend that you enclose all the medical records with the demand letter before handing it over to the at-fault driver’s insurance company or attorney.

Next is the negotiation process, which is where an attorney’s help will prove most valuable.

You need legal help. You need to form a team. Have you seen the movie When the Game Stands Tall? This team won the big game and many games because they played as a team. This team was coached by Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel who should have won an Oscar in the Passion of the Christ which was the best movie in 2004 and he was the best actor - Jim Caviezel should have won best actor) who is perhaps the best high school football coach in the country. He knows how to form a team and how to win as a team.

You need that valuable teammate. Without legal help, you will lose your accident case and leave a lot of money on the table that the opposing insurance company would rather not give you. Press right here Accident.USAttorneys.com, make it happen!           
If you practice distracted driving, you should have a Columbia, GA accident lawyer on speed dial. 

Going to Court

To begin with, you or your legal team will present a legal complaint to the appropriate court. The complaint must be served to the other driver as well through a law enforcement officer or process server. Usually the defendant has 20 days to respond to the complaint.

Next is the process of discovery where both the plaintiff and the defendant have the right to seek information from each other via interrogatories and depositions. This is followed by the trial where the judge/jury will weigh the evidence presented and determine your case.

Preparation as well as representation during trial can be both expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, if you are a victim of an auto accident, it would be prudent to hire the services of a Georgia accident lawyer to evaluate your case. USAttorneys.com is where you need to go.

Contact us if you have any questions. We will probably call you back shortly thereafter. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts