Should You Settle Your Case Out of Court?

If you want to get compensated for the damages suffered, as the result of an accident, you can pursue one of two different legal channels. You can sue and take the opposing party to court. Alternately, you can agree to settle outside of the courtroom. There are reasonable arguments that can be used to substantiate whichever of the two channels you might feel inclined to pursue.

Arguments that support a decision to settle out of court:

This approach should prove much faster. You do not have to wait long for a decision; as a result, you do not have to wait long for the expected payment. When you get your payment sooner, you can expedite the paying of bills. That gives you one less thing to worry about. If you have taken out any loans, those can be paid back.

If you have been unable to return to work, a willingness to settle out of court allows you to get compensated as soon as possible for the absence of a salary. You do not get hit with any added expenses, such as filing fees or witness fees. You do not feel as though you must deal with a stressful situation for an extended period of time. You can feel as though you have preserved your privacy. In a courtroom, you might be asked some rather probing questions.

Arguments that support a decision to have the matter settled in a courtroom:

If you settle out of court, you are apt to be offered less than you deserve. A defense attorney often encourages a plaintiff to settle out of court, because he or she feels that the opposing side has a decent argument and, therefore, might win its case.

If you do not go to court, you deprive yourself of the chance to seek punitive damages. Hence, even if you did get what you feel you deserve, you have been cheated. You enjoy payment for punitive damages when you settle outside of the courtroom. You can only get rewarded such payments upon a decision that has been made by a judge and jury.

How a warning might sway your decision

Sometimes, the Personal Injury Lawyer in Lindsay for an accident victim warns about the possibility that the victim might have to step into the witness stand. If an injury lawyer feels that a client will be a bad witness, that same member of the legal profession might push for a settlement that is made out of court. Bear in mind the fact that a good lawyer feels willing to look at the ways that a client’s case can be presented, regardless of any decision to avoid forcing the same client to get battered by questions, while in the witness stand.