The personal injury lawyers at Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm in South Carolina educate you on if most auto accident cases in South Carolina settle or go to trial. Watch the video below to get your questions answered.
Do Most Auto Accident Cases in South Carolina Settle or Go to Trial?
The attorneys at Schiller & Hamilton explained that typically the goal is to try to get cases resolved. Fortunately, with mandatory mediation, many cases are resolved prior to getting in front of a jury. In reality, between 80% and 90% of cases will settle if the investigation is done properly and the damages are significant enough to do. So the earlier an attorney gets involved the more likely they are able to reach a settlement.
Insurance adjusters have a duty when they begin their investigation to set reserves for that particular loss. If an attorney is involved and they know that that attorney has a reputation for being competent both outside the courtroom and inside the courtroom then reserves will be set higher which makes it easier to get that case settled.
If someone is trying to handle their case on their own, an insurance company may set their reserves very low. When they get the lawyer involved and the documentation is actually secured and the evidence is presented to the insurance company, then the insurance company may have set their reserves too low. In that case, it becomes very challenging to settle the case oftentimes that requires a lawsuit to be filed for discovery to be done and the case may take longer and will be less likely to settle.
This is yet another reason getting a lawyer involved sooner rather than later will help the case rather than having to file a lawsuit. For a free phone consultation contact Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm today.