Do All Personal Injury Cases Go to Court?

October 3, 2013  |  Adriel B. Villarreal

Going to a personal injury attorney does not always mean launching a lawsuit. Sometimes the presence of an experienced Minnesota attorney who knows what you’re entitled to is enough to convince insurance companies to offer a fair and reasonable settlement.
However, “fair and reasonable” isn’t always a clear cut number. It’s important for you to give your attorney everything he asks for so he can investigate the facts of a case.

Determining the Value of Your Personal Injury Case

Personal injury compensation figures are not simply pulled from the air. Instead, they are based on the facts: the size of your medical bills, the amount of lost wages, and other factors. There may also be multiple responsible parties who need to issue checks under the law.
This means obtaining all of the facts that led up to your injury, talking to witnesses, reading police reports, and more. It also means reviewing medical bills and evaluating lost wages. It can also mean counseling you to take the steps necessary to protect yourself in the event that you have injuries that are not immediately apparent after the accident, like whiplash.
You never have to take a settlement if you’re not satisfied with it, and you can push for a trial if you wish. A trial can be expensive and time consuming, however, so it is a good idea to listen to your attorney’s advice before making a decision.

You need to know what you stand to gain (or lose) by going to trial.

At Barna, Guzy & Steffen, we recommend you avoid making decisions on external factors. Many clients turn to family and friends for advice, for example. While your Aunt or your cousin may feel that they’ve been involved in similar proceedings in the past you should know that every single case is different.
Finally, understand that the goal of a personal injury lawsuit is not to set you up with a windfall. It is to cover the expenses and losses that your accident caused so that your life can get back to normal. If your attorney negotiates a settlement that achieves that goal then it is often worth it to stay out of court.