A Personal Injury Lawyer in St. Augustine Discusses Settlement Authority
In a personal injury case, defense attorneys rarely reveal the extent of their authority to settle. A skilled, experienced personal injury attorney in St. Augustine is well placed to deal with this situation.
Settlement Authority
Once the case is underway and negotiations have begun, your personal injury lawyer in St. Augustine will take steps to secure an estimate of the settlement figure during the negotiations. Although the defense lawyer will normally point to the insurance company for the power to settle, they are usually fully aware of the probable settlement authority figure.
Your Personal Injury Attorney in St. Augustine’s Options
The above can provide the opportunity for your attorney to obtain an approximate settlement authority figure by asking the defense attorney what his action would be were their places reversed or perhaps asking him for his opinion regarding the worth of the case. This figure can be increased by 50 percent to 100 percent depending on how extensive the case may be, the types of liabilities involved, and the magnitude of the damages. The defense attorney will practically always work to ensure savings for the insurance company, but by the time the trial date is reached, your personal injury attorney in St. Augustine’s figures should be fairly precise.
The Defense Attorney’s Role
It is unlikely that the defense attorney will exert himself to help you or your personal injury attorney in St. Augustine. The defense attorney’s purpose is to save money for the insurance company that has retained him and to win cases. Unless he feels that the verdict reached the trial will be considerable, he is not likely to settle for top authority. His chances are significantly improved if he can secure success via damages or liability.
Settlement Out of Court
Your personal injury attorney in St. Augustine may advise you that you may find settlement out of court preferable to having the case go to trial. Given the degree of time, expense, and anxiety along with the emotional strain of testimonies and depositions, discovery, aggravation and overwhelming exhaustion that can be involved in a court case, a settlement of $18,000 rather than $20,000 may not constitute a significant loss.
Don’t Face This Alone
If you are involved in a personal injury case, be sure you have a skilled, experienced personal injury attorney in St. Augustine on your side. Contact the Attorneys at Canan Law by calling (904) 849-2266 today.
