Depending on the specifics of your personal injury case, there could be embarrassing factors involved that you are less than excited to let out into the world. However, it might be worth it. Keep reading to find out what information could be made public and what other options you have beyond taking your case to court. Then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 to request a free legal consultation.
If You Go to Court the Records Will Be Public
In almost all cases, if your personal injury case goes to court, your court records will be public. This means that anyone who wants to access them will be able to. On the other hand, if you settle out of court then the details can be made private. You can require non-disclosure agreements to be part of the settlement requirements.
Not Going to Trial Might Be the Best Option Anyway
Before you start to worry that your case will suffer if you do not go to trial, understand that this is not necessarily true. In fact, the vast majority of personal injury cases in California – and throughout the country – do not go to trial at all. In fact, as many as nine out of ten claims filed are settled before they ever get to court.
There are a number of reasons that might be best to settle rather than going to trial, including the fact that it might be the best option financially. According to a study in 2008 that looked at more than 2,000 cases in a three-year period between 2002 and 2005, those who declined a settlement and went to trial averaged less money than those who settled.
According to this study, plaintiffs “lost” an average of $43,000 by choosing not to settle. On the other hand, defendants who chose not to settle lost an average of $1.1 million more than if they had settled. As you can see, the defendants generally have huge incentive to settle and we can use that to negotiate the best possible settlement for your case.
We Can Help You Determine Your Best Options
As you read the statistics above, it is important to know that those are averages and they do not cover every case. If you have suffered an injury that you do not want to be made public, or you were partially at fault for your accident in a way you do not want to be made public, your best bet is to talk to a personal injury attorney who can offer you unbiased advice.
You can call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free, confidential case evaluation. We are here to help you with this situation. Call now and we can fight for you.
