People who file personal injury claims often hear about settlements and verdicts. These words have to do with how a case ends and how people get paid. Anyone thinking about filing a personal injury claim needs to know the difference between a settlement and a verdict.
What Does “Settlement” Mean?
A settlement is when the two sides in a personal injury case agree on how much money the other side should pay without going to court. The defendant or the insurance company usually offers the person who was hurt a settlement. If the offer is accepted, the case is over, and the person who was hurt can’t do anything else in court. Settlements are common because they speed up the process of settling claims and take away people’s worries about what will happen in court.
What does a verdict mean?
A verdict is what a judge or jury says is true after a case in court. If the people in a personal injury case can’t agree on a settlement, the case goes to court. The court listens to the facts and arguments before making a decision. The verdict tells you whether the defendant is guilty and, if so, how much they owe. Because it’s hard to know what a court will decide, a lot of cases settle before they get to this point.
Main Differences in Trial Results
The main differences between a settlement and a verdict are who has control and how much risk there is. Settlements let both sides have more say in the outcome and usually lead to faster resolutions. Verdicts are more dangerous because the court makes the final decision. Depending on what the court finds, the amount of money you get from a verdict may be more or less than what you were offered in a settlement.
Questions and Answers
Is a settlement or a verdict more common?
Settlements happen more often because they save both sides time and money.
Can I talk about a settlement offer?
Yes, you can talk about the terms and amount of a settlement offer before you accept it.
Does a verdict always mean more money?
Not all the time. Verdicts can lead to more or less money than settlement offers.
Do all claims for personal injury go to court?
No, most personal injury cases are settled before they go to court.
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