Most people want to avoid taking their personal injury claim to court. After all, courts mean trials and trials are lengthy, expensive, and terrifying. In fact, about 95% of personal injury lawsuits are settled without seeing the inside of a courtroom. Due to this, many victims think a personal injury attorney only needs to have experience negotiating with insurance adjusters to reach a settlement. Although negotiation skills are an important tool that every personal injury attorney should have, most people benefit more from working with an attorney who has trial experience and, if it comes down to it, can take your case to court. A skilled trial attorney can make a huge difference in the outcome of your case. If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, you need an attorney with years of courtroom experience. Contact the Virginia Beach personal injury attorneys at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp to schedule a free consultation.
How Does Working With a Trial Attorney Benefit Me?
While the majority of personal injury cases are resolved through a settlement, it is still necessary to prepare for trial. A good lawyer understands the importance of preparing a case for trial from the very beginning, even if they do not expect it to get that far.
Preparing a case for a trial is a complex and time-consuming process that begins with performing a thorough investigation of the case. Your attorney will collect evidence and establish facts that support your version of events. They will also work hard to discredit any arguments the defense raises against you. They will also work with expert witnesses whose testimony can lend credibility to your claim if necessary. Once their investigation is complete, your trial attorney will be able to give you the best representation possible no matter if your case settles or goes to court.
Other ways that working with a trial attorney is to your advantage are:
It Shows You Are Prepared To Go To Trial
Most people want to avoid a trial if at all possible. Quite probably, the opposing party also feels the same way. Oftentimes, the threat of a trial is enough to motivate the insurance company to offer a fair settlement. However, this only works in your favor if they know your attorney will actually follow through. If your lawyer has never tried a case and is clearly not prepared to do so, then the insurance company has no incentive to settle the case fairly just to avoid a trial.
You May Not Have A Choice
A trial is more than just a bargaining chip used to reach a settlement. In some cases, there genuinely is no other choice. If this turns out to be the case for you, you want an attorney with years of successful trial experience to bring your case before a court. If you choose an attorney without any trial experience and your claim ends up going to court, the outcome may not be what you had hoped.
Do You Need a Personal Injury Attorney?
The Virginia Beach personal injury attorneys at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp fight for fair compensation for their clients, even when that means taking a case to trial. That was the case when a jury awarded our client $650,000 after the insurance company refused to settle when she was severely injured by the driver of a farm vehicle towing a water tank.
If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence and would like to schedule a free consultation with an experienced trial attorney, call (833) 997-1774 or fill out our online contact form. We have offices in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Hampton, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth.