The Common Methods of Resolving a Personal Injury Case
It is estimated that only 4% of personal injury cases go to trial. While it's your right to have a judge or jury hear your story, it's also possible to obtain a favorable resolution through mediation or arbitration. Let's take a closer look at how cases can be resolved and how to decide which method may be best for your matter.What Is Mediation?
Mediation is typically a collaborative process where parties to an accident attempt to negotiate a settlement in a timely and reasonable manner. For this method, an Allentown accident lawyer could represent your interests during negotiation sessions. In fact, it's relatively common to have legal counsel attend such sessions to advise their clients about their rights and how to protect them. In many cases, a judge will order that the parties to an accident attempt to negotiate a settlement before setting a court date. Therefore, it's generally a good idea to have at least one negotiating session before deciding to go to court. It's important to note that you can still try to negotiate a settlement even after a trial has begun.What Is Arbitration?
Arbitration is somewhat of a cross between mediation and litigation. It's like mediation in that the case is decided by a neutral party. However, it's similar to litigation in that the parties in the matter can usually introduce evidence, call witnesses and take other steps that are typically seen at trial. Once an arbiter rules, his or her ruling generally cannot be appealed. Furthermore, the ruling itself is generally kept confidential, which means that you can't talk about it without risking further penalties. Arbitration may be worth pursuing if you want to resolve the matter in a relatively short period of time. The less time it takes to come to a decision in your case, the less money you'll spend on legal fees. It can also be worth pursuing if you want to have greater control over who gets to hear your case.
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