What Happens If You Reject a Settlement Offer?

Описание: Hi everybody, it's Joy and I am here with Scott Anderson from Anderson Injury Law. We are continuing our series on myths around going to court. So I think today is a funny one on if you reject a settlement offer that you'll get a better deal in court.
That one is a myth. It is something where the reason people agree to settle is to avoid the risk of trial. So for someone who's injured in an accident, when you settle, you are typically agreeing to a smaller amount than you would expect your best day in court to be. And from the insurance company's standpoint, it's the opposite.

They are willing to put money on the table. To basically say, here's an amount that we can avoid going to trial. And, not having that risk of the best day in court. One in three verdicts are $0 verdicts, meaning someone got a $0 award and $0 doesn't actually mean $0.

That might be another myth that we have on the list to talk about. The person then has to pay. The other side's costs. Costs are different than attorney fees. It's the paying doctors to show up and testify, paying court, filing fees, paying to get exhibits produced, paying for depositions to happen, and court reporters and stuff like that.

Those are all costs. So when a case goes to trial and someone loses, and, in that one, in three case, it gets a $0 verdict. They are not only getting $0 and still having to pay their doctors back, but now they're also having to pay the insurance company's costs back on top of their own case their own costs.

So going to trial and getting in that. 33% range of $0 verdict is a really bad day. The average case of overall is about 45% of cases are plaintiff verdicts and 55% are defense verdicts. And those are stats across the board throughout the state of Colorado.

What that basically means is 45% of the time people go to court and they get a better verdict than what they were offered from an insurance company. 55% of the time they get a worse verdict than what the insurance company offered them. And so it is very much a myth to say if you reject the offer, you'll do better in court.

The people who, the 45% of people who have gone to court and won their case are very happy they went to court. 'cause those usually are large wins. They're not usually small wins when a jury rules in someone's favor.

But that's part of one of the benefits of hiring an attorney is we look at cases and we say, Hey, if we go to court, here's the likelihood we win. Here's the likelihood we lose at whatever offer is being made.

There are other people who, they just want their medical bills paid. They're not out for money in their pocket. They don't want anything for pain and suffering. They just wanna make sure they're not having to pay for medical bills for something that was caused to them and forced upon them.

And insurance companies sometimes don't offer amounts that even cover the medical bills. And so in those cases, it's usually my opinion that going to court is a good idea for those cases. That makes me think of a couple things. First one is experience matters.

And the other thing that I think about is, emotions play into it so much. Like you were hurt, it wasn't your fault, and you want people to pay. Or be accountable for what happened, and sometimes that just doesn't happen. Yep. Yeah. Our system, the way insurance companies operate, it is usually in someone's best interest to have an attorney helping them because insurance companies don't treat people fairly.

Make it so people get less. That is what insurance companies do and you need someone on your side fighting for you. 'Cause people, when they handle cases on their own,

So it lists most of the cases that go to a jury verdict throughout the state of Colorado. So I can get an idea of what's going on throughout the state, right in. I think I've been actively tracking it for 15 years or so, and in 15 years I think I have seen all of zero people who represented themselves win their case.

That's a big decision on taking your case to court. I didn't know that stat of 30%, over 30% of people don't get anything. That's a lot to consider heading down that road, heading down that expensive road.

You do a free consultation, so how do they reach out? Easiest way to get ahold of me is phone number (719) 473-3040.

Disclaimer
The content in this video is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Watching these videos does not create an attorney-client relationship with Anderson Injury Law Firm. For legal assistance, consult a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction.

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Outcomes mentioned in this video are based on specific cases and may not reflect the results of your case. Legal situations vary and results depend on individual circumstances.

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The legal principles discussed pertain to Colorado. Consult a local attorney for guidance specific to your area.
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