Settling Cases – Can’t We Just Settle It Now?

Just like people and injuries, cases come in all shapes and sizes.  Some cases are large and have substantial injuries, and some cases are smaller with fewer injuries.  Some cases are filed simply to make sure that medical is paid off, and other cases are for pain and suffering when another party is at fault.  Very often, in cases big and small, a question comes to us that is something like “Can’t we just settle our case now?  The short answer is “maybe.” Unfortunately, the longer answer is that is just isn’t all that simple.

Sometimes, it is simply better to have your money now, right? But what if you continue to treat for their injuries for a long time after an accident?  Longer lasting injuries will continue to rack up bills that need to be paid.  If injuries are severe enough, and if you are not at fault in an accident, you may also have a 3rd party or bodily injury claim.  When such a claim arises, value often comes to those who wait.  No-one wants injections, surgeries, and other costly medical procedures, but if they are necessary for the person’s care, recovery, and rehabilitation they will be evidence of the severity of the injuries.  In other words, all that injury may come with a silver lining, more treatment is more proof of the injury in your case.  Moreover, may not want to waive a benefit you might need later, like future medical treatment.

In short, getting a good value for a case may require patience.  It’s possible some cases can be resolved for a smaller amount early on, but until you have received the full diagnosis for each part of you that is injured, early settlement may be difficult because you just won’t know the full extent of the injury. If you don’t know the full extent of the injury, not even your attorney can know the full value of the case. 

So, the best answer is this that whenever you are thinking about settlement for a case, talk to your attorney about all the pros and cons of acting now, or waiting just a little bit longer.