3 Lies Television Taught You About Personal Injury Lawsuits

Posted on: 22 December 2015

Television has a way of teaching people about personal injury lawsuits. There are many shows and movies that have riveting portrayals of people filing personal injury lawsuits and showing the positive outcomes from the trial. Although there are some situations that turn out to be like these television shows and movies, they are not common. In fact, there are many ways that these shows have falsely educated the public about personal injury lawsuits. Here are a couple of those ways.

1. Your Winnings From The Lawsuit Probably Will Be A Moderate Payout, Nothing Like Winning The Lottery

On the big screen you might see people walking away from a personal injury lawsuit with millions of dollars and never having to worry about money again. This generally doesn't happen and in fact, is very uncommon. In most cases the winnings are very practical and moderate.

This is because you can also sue for damages that are directly related to injuries. Thus, you must be able to prove that you had physical injuries, damage to property, loss of wages, and so forth. This means that unless it was a major grievance of gross neglect, there is probably a good chance your winnings will be a reasonable amount.

2. You Will Probably Settle and Never Go To Court

Second, you will probably never see a courtroom during your trial. The majority of lawsuits settle outside of court, and for good reasoning. Going to court is expensive, takes a good deal of time, and doesn't guarantee that you will get anything out of the lawsuit. There is generally a clear winner and loser when you go to court.

When you settle outside of court, both parties find a solution that they can agree upon. This will guarantee that you at least get something from your lawsuit, that you save money on legal fees and can resolve it quicker. For many people, this is a better solution that taking it all the way to court.

3. You Will Probably Pay Legal Fees

There are some lawyers who work on contingency, meaning they only get paid if you win the case. However, in most situations the lawyer will bill you for their time whether or not you win the case. This means that you will probably pay a good amount of money in legal fees no matter the outcome.

These clarifications should in no way deter you from filing a personal injury lawsuit if you believe you have a good case. Instead, they can help you. Contact a local firm, like Cok Kinzler PLLP or another location, for more information.

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