contractors - protect yourself from legal liabilities

3 Things You Need To Know About The Outcome, Time, And Cost Of A Lawsuit

19 July 2017

Lawrence Ross

Filing a personal injury lawsuit is a very personal thing. There are many people who file a lawsuit and are pleased with the results. However, there are others that go through the trouble and expenses of a lawsuit only to walk away with nothing. This is why it is important that you do what you can to prepare yourself for the lawsuit so that you aren't disappointed in the end. Here are some things you should know.

1. You Will Most Likely Settle

It is important to realize that most personal injury lawsuits settle. This means that the two parties mediate the dispute outside of court. Thus, a judge (and perhaps jury) will never actually hear your case. Instead, it is simply up to you and the other side to find a compromise. This also means that you may not get as much money as you wanted. For example, if you ask for $100,000, when you settle, you are most likely not going to get that much. Instead, you may compromise and get half that amount.

This is important to know so that when you walk away from the lawsuit, you are realistic about how much money you will get. Because the nature of the settlement is a compromise, you should be ready to compromise and perhaps accept less than what you initially thought.

2. It Could Take A Long Time

Lawsuits take longer than most people expect. If you are filing a lawsuit and expecting to have it turn around in a matter of weeks or even months, you should think again. In the majority of cases, it takes longer than a couple months and can even take a year to get resolved. Thus, if you are needing the money immediately, you should think of alternative ways to work it out.

3. You May Even Lose Money

Lastly, you must realize that you may need to pay some money whether you win or lose. There are some attorneys that will take your case on contingency, meaning they don't get paid unless you win, however in that case they will take more money out of the winnings. In other cases, you will pay the attorneys fees whether or not you actually win the case. This is a risk that you may have to take.

By understanding these things you can determine if you should file a lawsuit and be realistic about the outcome, time, and cost. Talk to an attorney like those at Blomberg Benson & Garrett to learn more.

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