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(314) 500-HURTWill my personal injury case go to trial? Or will it settle out of court? Most people who are injured through no fault of their own have never had to deal with making an injury claim before. A multitude of questions naturally arise, including: Will I have to go to court to be compensated for my injuries? The vast majority of injury claims settle out of court, but it’s good to be prepared for your case unexpectedly going to trial.
If you were injured through the negligence of another, let Burger Law handle the legal aspect for you while you focus on healing. We’ll give you everything you need to know to make the best decisions for you and your family and get maximum compensation. With offices in St. Louis, Chicago and elsewhere, our personal injury attorneys serve the injured through Missouri and Illinois. Read on to see if your personal injury claim may go to trial, or call us today at or contact us online for a free consultation.
There are two ways to resolve a personal injury claim: a settlement out of court and a verdict at trial:
In any personal injury case, your attorney will initially try to settle the claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. In a perfect world, they’d recognize the damage their policyholder caused you and compensate you fairly and quickly. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. Most settlements require several rounds of negotiation. If the insurance company still won’t be fair, you need a personal injury lawyer who’s not afraid to see the case all the way through to a verdict.
Not often. Statistics about civil claims are often hard to come by because of the confidential nature of many settlements, but we do know it’s rare. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported in 2005 that 96 percent of personal injury claims are settled out-of-court. Plaintiffs (the injured party) won about half of the personal injury claims that were heard by a jury.
The reason settling is more common is because, in most situations, it benefits both the injured and the liable party. Here are some of the main reasons your case is likely to be settled out of court:
Because of the benefits of settling, negotiations in personal injury cases often continue to take place all the way up to trial or even while the trial is taking place. We’ve found that defendants and their insurance companies often wait until the eve of trial to offer a fair settlement.
Even though most personal injury cases settle and both sides are typically motivated to avoid trial, there are a few factors that occasionally bring cases in front of a jury:
Remember, if your case does go to trial, not every personal injury law firm in Missouri and Illinois is well-equipped to fight for you. Communicating with an insurance adjuster is one thing; putting in the work to go to trial and convincing a jury of the merits of your case is another matter entirely. At Burger Law, we are experienced and award-winning injury trial attorneys who can take your case all the way through to the end – from initial consultation to you getting maximum compensation.
To date, our St. Louis-based personal injury law firm has recovered over $200 million for our clients throughout Missouri and Illinois, both through settlements and through fighting on our clients’ behalf at trial. You should not have to accept anything less than full compensation, and our team will ensure you get it. We’ll use our experience and expertise to advise you on settling or going to trial, but we’ll always leave the final decision up to you and your family. If you or a loved one were injured through another’s negligence, call Burger Law today at or fill out our online contact form.
Founder | Injury Attorney
Gary Burger has dedicated his career to standing up against bullies. The founder and principal attorney of Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer has helped hundreds of Missouri and Illinois individuals and families recover th …
Years of experience: 30 years
Location: St. Louis, MO
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