The Short Answer
The short answer to this question is almost always no. In fact, only about 2 to 3 percent of all bicycle, motorcycle, pedestrian and auto accident cases end up in trial. At Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers we try to settle every case where that is the best solution for our client, so they can move on from the accident and get back to their life. Only rare situations require that the case be pushed all the way to trial.
Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers’ Trial Philosophy
There are some personal injury attorneys who focus on taking almost every case to trial, often without even trying to resolve the case short of a trial, unless forced to by the Court. (Note that attorneys’ fees increase at trial, as do attorney egos 😉 However, at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, we are focused on quick resolution of our clients’ cases, so they can put this terrible time in their life in the past and move forward toward more joy and fulfillment. Our philosophy is that it is better to get reasonable compensation with minimal stress and move on, rather than prolong the stress and drama of a legal case only to “gamble” at trial on maybe getting a better net dollar amount. It should be noted that often the client ends up with less after a trial, even if the overall result is “better,” because the increase in attorneys’ fees and trial costs and “eat up” any increase in the settlement/judgment. We only take cases to trial that NEED to go to trial (and where the client truly wants to go to trial.) Frankly, we find that most of the clients we work with are not real fond of the idea of spending a week away from their family, friends and careers to stress out about their personal injury case in a courtroom.
Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers has the trial experience and resources if they are required in your case
Should a quick, low-stress resolution not be available, Sally Morin and her team have handled over a dozen trials (as a San Francisco District Attorney and as a top-rated California personal injury attorney). We have the experience and resources needed to try your case if that is what is required to get maximum value in the case. We have partnerships with well-respected (and even legendary) San Francisco trial attorneys who can assist our team in trying your personal injury case with the utmost experience,skill,strategy and cutting edge trial technology. So, although it is almost always best to settle your case, so you can be compensated quickly and resume your life, if it is necessary,we are prepared to fight for you all the way through trial.
You want to be sure and choose the right personal injury attorney for you, so that you work with someone who has the same goal for your case as you do. Is it to get a quick, fair resolution so you can get back to life, or is it to push the case for every penny it is worth (even though you may not end up with most of those pennies)?