Personal injury lawsuits seem to be going to court more and more often: but the public perception of these cases isn’t always correct. Similar to how a smear campaign against an elderly woman had everyone convinced that she dropped lukewarm coffee on her leg, instead of noting the severe third-degree burns a cup of coffee gave her mouth and thighs: the number of these cases has been blown out of proportion.
These are the facts on personal injury cases and how often these skilled lawyers go to court.
Why People Need Personal Injury Lawyers
Personal injury cases are for more than just physical injury. They also cover cases where people’s property was damaged or where they had wage losses. All of these are significant injuries that can make it hard to recover and get back to a state of normalcy.
This means a personal injury lawyer may cover anything from car accidents to someone slipping and hurting themselves on a slick staircase. Although this covers many incidents and accidents, it spreads even further out from this.
How Often Do These Lawsuits Settle?
Currently, 95% to 96% of cases settle out of court. This means that only a very small fraction of them ever appear before a court. The main reason for this is that defendants either don’t want to spend the time necessary in court for a case, or they don’t like the idea of this case getting into the public consciousness where they’ll get dragged or judged by people who don’t know the details.
Unfortunately, most settle for far less than their medical costs and have to deal with just recouping some of it in turn for never having to go to court. Those who do end up going to court usually cite that it either wasn’t enough money or wanted to make a statement against the individual they believe did this to them.
How Often Do They Win When They Go to Court?
When these cases go to court, 90% end up losing. Unfortunately, a big reason for this is that the case is complicated or has issues that the plaintiff’s legal team couldn’t handle. If the evidence is good and the plaintiff has justifiable cause to sue, the case should be made regardless so that they can have a chance at getting what they deserve.
What’s the Final Verdict?
In all, personal injury lawyers only go to court for 4% to 5% of the cases that are brought to them. This means that they only have to deal with the intense back and forth of a court case a small portion of the time, and instead spend most of their job negotiating the settlement so that their clients get the most amount possible from the defendant.
Everyone Deserves Their Day in Court
Whether this is your first day in court, or you’ve had court dates before: you deserve your time in front of a judge or jury of your peers to discuss what happened to you. So talk it through, and have a lawyer you can trust at your side.
