When people who have suffered injuries in car accidents in Oahu seek help from a lawyer, they may have an idea the case will be brought to trial and they will receive an enormous monetary award from a jury. The truth is, this is very rare. Only people who have suffered some of the most serious injuries typically have cases go before a judge and jury. It’s usually in the best interests of the plaintiff to have an attorney negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company.
Individual Attempts at Negotiating
Some individuals attempt to negotiate on their own with insurers after car accidents in Oahu. This can be very difficult, however, since the victims are usually unacquainted with the way insurance adjusters calculate settlement offers and the methods they use to keep settlements low. In addition, the person is probably still recovering from injuries, which can make life, in general, pretty overwhelming.
Time Factors
Preparing for a trial is a time-consuming process. In addition, overloaded court dockets mean that the trial will probably not take place for a long time to come. Settlement negotiations through an organization such as Yoshida & Associates allow the injured person to reach a settlement much faster. That’s important since the injured individual probably has bills piling up and may be forced to use retirement savings to avoid foreclosure or eviction.
Risks
Another important consideration is that taking a case to court is a gamble. The individual may believe a jury will be sympathetic, but one or more jury members may not really believe the injuries are severe or the plaintiff deserves the amount they have requested. They may decide on a lower amount, and they might even decide in favor of the defendant. There’s also a risk that a motion to dismiss will be filed by the insurer and the judge will grant this motion.
Only 5 Percent
This explains why only about five percent of personal injury cases are brought to trial. Both the plaintiff and the defendant generally prefer to settle outside of court. Visit Autoaccidentattorneyhonolulu.com to learn more about one particular attorney who handles this kind of cases.
