If your auto accident settlement negotiations have hit an impasse, either because you and the defendant can’t agree on the correct car accident compensation or because there’s a disagreement over fault or negligence, you’ll be facing a court case.
These are much more expensive than just settling cases in settlement negotiations because there’s a higher legal cost because lawyers spend more time on the cases and also because there’s costs associated with bringing the court case.
They do however, usually result in larger settlements if you win to compensate for this. Here are some things that you should know before your case gets brought to court.
Most cases that deal with auto settlements are tried with a jury present, but in some states the case may just be tried in front of a judge. If you’re having a jury trial, the first part of the trial will be jury selection, where both lawyers have a certain amount of people they can dismiss to attempt to make their ideal jury.
After the jury has been selected, the actual trial will commence a few days later. The trial begins with opening statements by both attorneys, which outlines the cases that they will present.
After this, both sides will present their evidence, starting with the plaintiff. This includes physical evidence as well as witnesses that can back up one side of the story or the other.
The trial then ends with the closing arguments of each attorney, which is their final chance to address the jury directly.
After this, the jury tries to decide which way the case should be decided. Generally, the jury is required to come to a unanimous decision, but in some states with different laws, only nine jurors have to vote a certain way.
If the jury can’t come to a decision, the case will be forced to be tried again. If the jury agrees with the plaintiff, what happens next depends on state law. Some states may require the judge to determine the amount of money offered to the plaintiff, while in some states the jury may decide.
For more information on settling with your insurance company, visit the Auto Accident Settlement Center.