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Is it Better to Settle a Personal Injury Case or Take it to Court?

Many people assume that all personal injury cases look like they do on TV and in movies. They assume there will be a dramatic courtroom battle and that their case will go to court. The reality is that it’s very common for a personal injury case to settle out of court. There are a number of advantages to both parties, but there are disadvantages too. This is why we can’t advise one over another in every case.

Instead, you should contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for your free case evaluation. We’ll take a look at your case and let you know what your best options are. From there we can help fight for the best possible outcome for your case.

The advantages to settling a personal injury case out of court

If you decide to settle your case outside of court, then you’ll have a much faster process and resolution to your case. It’s also true that judges and juries both can be unpredictable. No matter how strong your case is, there is always the chance that you won’t win your case or that you’ll win and be awarded an amount that’s much less than you deserve.

The advantages to taking a case to court

To settle a personal injury case, both the defendant and the plaintiff must agree to the settlement. If either party doesn’t want to settle then it’s almost guaranteed that the case will go to trial. In some cases, it’s best to take the case to court. For example, if you suffered a serious or catastrophic injury and the defendant offers a settlement that doesn’t fairly compensate you then you may not want to take it.

Another example is if you would otherwise be barred from taking the case to court due to the statute of limitations. This will vary, but in California it’s almost always three years from the date the plaintiff became aware of the injury. If the statute of limitations has expired, it’s still possible that the at-fault party will offer a settlement, especially if there’s the potential of bad press against them.

Are you ready to find out if you should settle or take your case to trial?

If you’ve been injured in an accident then we urge you to call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 right away. We are here to provide you with a free case evaluation. During that evaluation you can tell us more about your case, we can consider the evidence, and we can give you a good idea of what the best option may be for you. However, the final decision about whether to settle or take your case to court will be yours.

There’s no upfront cost to you

The great news about working with a personal injury firm like us is that we take cases on contingency. This prevents you from having to pay anything at all upfront. Instead, a percentage of your settlement or jury award is paid to us when the case is over. You have no costs upfront and can trust that we will fight 2as hard as we can for your case. After all, if you don’t get paid then neither do we.