Know when to settle and when to litigate a car accident claim

Motor vehicle accidents are violent and intense. They involve split second decisions, high speeds, and massive forces when two ore more vehicles come together in a crash. The victim of a car accident can experience losses from damage to their property, injuries to their body, and stresses to their emotions and minds.

If a victim survives a crash, they can face an uphill road to recovery, complete with extensive related bills for their medica care. Some victims look to settle their legal claims instead of going to court. While settlements may be a good idea for some car accident victims, others may benefit from litigating their claims with helpful North Carolina personal injury lawyers.

You give up rights when you settle a claim

In a nutshell, a settlement is an agreement between parties. In exchange for money, a victim will usually agree to waive their future rights to litigate their claims based on what they lost in their accident. That means that even if a settlement provides a victim with enough money for their immediate post-accident needs, they cannot go back and sue later if their settlement payout runs out.

Big picture considerations for settlements

There are scenarios when settlements may be useful to car accident victims. For example, if a victim’s injuries and losses are small and easy to value, they may be able to be fully compensated without going to trial. However, unknown and long-term accident costs can be hard to figure out right after an accident, and as mentioned victims have to give up rights when the elect to accept settlement offers.

The option to settle will work for some Fayetteville residents and not others. Those who do not know how best to protect their post-accident interests can take their concerns to their trusted personal injury lawyers.