The vast majority of car accident cases will be resolved out of the courtroom, so it’s very likely that your case will not ever be presented to a jury in court. Why do car accident cases rarely go to trial? Here are some of the many reasons:
Unpredictable Juries
Both sides will have a say in choosing members of the jury in the event that the case does go to trial. However, even if your attorney carefully selects the people he wants on your jury, there’s no way to know for sure what verdict the jury will reach. Some jury members may always side with the plaintiff because they feel like insurance companies are greedy and have enough money to spare. In other cases, the jury may get a bad impression of your client based off of her demeanor in the courtroom, which could impact their decision. You never know what’s going on inside a jury member’s head, and this unpredictability often makes going to trial very unappealing for both the defendant and the plaintiff.
Cost of Going to Trial
If the case goes to trial, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will have to pay an attorney to defend the company in court. The attorney will be responsible for preparing the case, hiring expert witnesses, conducting depositions, and then appearing in court to defend the insurance company. These legal fees are not cheap—and the insurance company knows that. As a result, they may do everything in their power to settle the case outside of the courtroom in order to avoid having to pay these fees.
Time
Sometimes, it’s the victim who is against taking the case to trial, not the attorneys. Why would a victim not want to go to trial? If a settlement is being offered, the victim may decide that it is best to accept the offer instead of going to trial if she needs the money right away. A victim may also make this decision if the legal process has taken a toll on her mentally or emotionally. For these victims, the idea of going to trial may not be worth the additional compensation that their attorney thinks they can recover in court.
If you have been injured in a car accident, seek legal representation from Reisch Law Firm today. Our personal injury attorneys are willing to do whatever it takes to recover the compensation that you deserve—even if it means taking your case to trial. To schedule a free consultation, call 303-291-0555 or fill out this online form.
