Understanding Personal Injury Lawsuits And Settlements.
If you were recently in an accident, then you might be looking for compensation. Whether you suffered physical injuries, financial distress, or psychological suffering, there is a way for you to get that compensation: an accident attorney. To help you get a better understanding of your situation, here is an overview of how personal injury lawsuits and settlements work.
So how does a personal injury lawsuit work?
In order to secure your compensation, you will need to file a personal injury lawsuit. Although you can complete the process without a lawyer, their expertise could be incredibly valuable to you. At the very least, you should consider consulting a lawyer so that you can get a general idea of how strong your case is and how much money you might expect to win.
The general timeline is pretty simple. First, you will need to officially file your complaint and submit a variety of documents. Then, a process known as discovery will transpire, where the facts of the situation are discussed. You and the target of the lawsuit will both provide evidence regarding your respective positions.
For many lawsuits, the entire legal process actually ends at this point. The defense has an option to settle, which means that they will pay you a sum of money in order to prevent the actual court case from beginning. Although this settlement will likely be smaller than the amount you were initially pursuing, it is a guaranteed payment.
Multiple Settlement Options
There are actually two different types of settlements that might be awarded: lump sum and structured.
A lump sum settlement is simply a large chunk of cash that you will be awarded in a single instance. A structured settlement is an installment plan where you are given the money over a period of months or years.
If you need the money now to pay for medical expenses, then you definitely want to get as much of your compensation as soon as possible and you thus want a lump sum payment.
On the other hand, if you are able to weather the storm for the short term, a structured settlement might be a better option. If you do the math, a structured settlement can end up giving you more money after all the payments have been made. If you do end up getting a structured settlement and later deciding that you want cash now, you can actually sell your settlement to specialized businesses.