Settling Your Personal Injury Claim Before Court

If you’re filing a personal injury claim with the Injuries Board, you may wonder what will happen next. Provided that your personal injury claim isn’t one that qualifies as medical negligence, there’s a good chance that you will have the opportunity to settle your claim before legal proceedings are issued. Here’s what you need to know about the settlement process.

What Is a Settlement?

A settlement means that you, along with your personal injuries solicitor, discuss the possibility of agreeing to a sum of money for the injuries that you suffered. The amount offered is meant to cover the cost of medical expenses associated with the injury (including future expenses), time away from your occupation, and to compensate you for what you went through. If a settlement is not reached and the matter goes before a Judge, the court will not be privy to the content of the negotiation process that occurred.

How Are Settlements Reached?

Although there’s no guarantee that a settlement will be reached for your personal injury claim, it’s important that you understand how the process generally works. Your personal injury solicitor will speak on your behalf to the solicitor hired by the defendant. Your solicitor will tell you whether they believe that accepting the offer would be in your best interest.

What Are the Benefits of Settling?

There are some benefits to settling outside of court if the offer is an amount that your solicitor believes is fair and accurate. Settling is often faster than taking a personal injury claim to court. It can take quite a while for you to receive a court date during which your claim will be heard. Settling is generally less stressful than appearing in front of a Judge. Less stress can make it easier for your body to heal from its injuries. You may receive an amount that is higher than what you’d receive if you went to court. There’s no guarantee of an amount through either settlement or court. Your personal injury solicitor can inform you of whether they believe that your settlement offer is likely better than what you’d receive in court. Just remember that there is no guarantee.

If You Settle, You Cannot Reopen the Claim

There is one very important factor that you should talk over with your personal injury solicitor. If you settle, you will no longer have the right to take the claim to court. You cannot reopen the personal injury claim in the future. This means that if your personal injury is worse than you thought a few months before the claim is settled, there is nothing further you can do. You’ve already been compensated for your injuries.

Choose the Right Personal Injury Solicitor for Your Claim

As you know, there’s certainly a lot on the line when you’re considering a settlement for your claim. There are many factors you must consider. This evidences the importance of selecting the right personal injury solicitor for your claim. Tiernan & Co. represents personal injury claims. We can help you decide whether settling is your best option or if you should take your claim in front of a Judge. Our legal advisors will walk you through each stage and make sure that you truly understand what’s happening. This is important because you must be able to make an informed opinion. To learn more or to talk with us about your claim, call on 01-6622822 or use our form to request an immediate callback.