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(314) 500-HURTSettlement versus judgment. A settlement is an agreement between both parties to the lawsuit that resolves their dispute prior to trial. A judgment is an official designation entered on a court’s docket that signifies that a plaintiff has prevailed in a court case against the named defendant.
A settlement does not usually state that anyone was right or wrong in the case, nor does it have to settle the entire case. Part of the dispute can be settled, with the remaining issue(s) left to be resolved by the judge or jury. It is a personal decision when you should accept a settlement, but the bottom line is that it should be when the amount of financial compensation is worth it for you. There are some things to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to accept a settlement:
If you are severely injured in an accident that is not your fault, and the at-fault driver does not carry bodily injury coverage or the policy does not fully compensate you for your damages, pursuing a judgment by filing a lawsuit may be the route to take. By going to trial, you do risk the chance that a judgment will be less than what you could have received with an out-of-court settlement. But one reason you may want to pursue a judgment specifically is if you feel the settlement is not fair compensation.
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Gary Burger who has more than 30 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney. Gary’s robust legal knowledge is recognized by his peers as demonstrated by his industry awards and frequent Continuing Legal Education (CLE) lectures.
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