Every year, more than 38,000 people die in crashes on U.S. roadways. The U.S. traffic fatality rate is 12.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. On the other hand, every year, more than 800,000 patients get hospitalized because of a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture.
When injuries like these happen due to someone’s negligence, the victims can file a personal injury claim, asking for financial compensation. Unintentional accidents like car crashes, sleep and fall accidents, and dog bites, among others, usually lead to personal injury cases. If you have been a victim of someone’s negligence, you can also file such a claim with the help of a personal injury lawyer in Minnesota.
1. Why File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
The primary reason for filing a personal injury lawsuit is to get the monetary compensation you deserve to restore your mental and physical health. Usually, accidents like car crashes and sleep and falls can result in serious injuries, requiring surgeries, long-term hospital care, therapy, and medication that may require a lot of money.
The compensation can help you cover almost all your medical expenses. It can also help you pay for lost wages, physical pain, mental suffering, disabilities, and in some cases, even your lost earning potential.
From the ethical point of view, these lawsuits help you to hold the negligent party or person responsible for the consequences of their actions, although they were unintentional. It also deters them from repeating such negligence ever again.
2. What Percentage of Personal Injury Cases Go to Trial in Minnesota?
Whether or not your case will go to trial will depend on the circumstances of your case. Most personal injury cases, however, rarely go to trial. One of the primary reasons why neither party wants their case to go to trial is the delay. Trials often drag on for years, costing money and time.
As the trial drags on, the victim’s financial condition may worsen. Also, if the compensation is less than expected, the victim may have to suffer a considerable setback. On the other hand, if you are the negligent party, and the judge grants more compensation compared to a jury, you will end up paying a lot more.
Under the following circumstances, a typical personal injury case may or may not go to trial.
A. Reasons Your Case Will Go to Trial
- If the defendant or their insurance company thinks the compensation your personal injury lawyer in Minnesota has asked for is too much and they can win this case, you may have to go to trial.
- On the contrary, if the defendant offers very low compensation, and you stand a chance of winning the case, you can take it to the trial.
- Sometimes, the insurance company may not want to set a precedence for settling cases like yours and might decide to go to trial.
- On rare occasions, the plaintiff may want to hold the defendant accountable for their negligence for the public good. In this case, the case may go to trial regardless of how good the settlement offer was.
B. Reasons Your Case Will Be Settled
- If the defendant believes the settlement is cheaper than a long-drawn trial, they will choose to settle, which is probably the most common reason for personal injury claim settlements.
- If the defendant compensation thinks you are likely to win (if the case goes to trial) and get similar or more you are asking for, they will choose the settlement.
- If the defendant thinks going to trial may result in bad publicity for the company or their brand, and the compensation you are asking for is fair, they may settle.
Although your case is less likely to go to a trial, you will still need to hire a competent personal injury lawyer in Minnesota. Your attorney will assess your case, consult medical and other experts, and negotiate on your behalf to get you the rightful compensation. They will also make sure all your paperwork is in order, and the out-of-court (pre-trial) settlement you make is watertight.
Conclusion
As you can see, very few personal injury cases go to trial. Regardless of whether or not your case will go to trial, however, you need to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer in Minnesota to protect your rights. Hopefully, this post will shed light on a few facts related to when a personal injury case is most likely to go to a trial and when it isn’t. Do make sure to understand the personal injury law and facts related to your case before filing a claim.
Call the Most Competent Personal injury lawyer in Minnesota Today!
If you or your loved one has fallen victim to someone’s negligence in Minnesota, the team of experienced personal injury lawyers at Carlson & Jones, P.A., is here to help you. We will make sure that you get the best possible compensation for the injuries you have suffered and the wages you have lost. Call us on 855-762-6548 or contact us online to know more about our personal injury law services.