Reap Your Reward: Personal Injury Judgments
Posted on: 12 January 2017
The personal injury process can be long and tiring, but sooner or later, you will be given a decision. If your case convinced the judge and a judgment in your favor was handed down, you may now be wondering what comes next. Read on to learn more about what could happen now that you have either settled your case or won your case in court.
The Means to Pay
You may not have realized it at the time, but your attorney was carefully evaluating your personal injury case from your very first meeting, and the reason is directly connected to money damages. Most personal injury attorneys work on what is known as a "contingency fee" basis, which means that their pay is based on taking a percentage of your winnings. If you don't have a good case, the attorney would be wasting their time to pursue it. Moreover, the case must not only be worthwhile, but there must funds available for the defendants to pay if they lose. In most cases, an insurance policy will suffice, but any asset the defendant has could come on the line if they lose, such as real estate and bank accounts.
Settlements
Not every case ends up in court; sometimes the at-fault party wants to avoid the cost and time that taking cases to trial can eat up. The offer to settle the case outside of court could come at any time, even after the case has actually begun to be litigated in court. In some instances, the attorneys for the other side are aware of the evidence and the case against them, and make the financial decision to offer a settlement. An offer is just the starting point, so rely on your attorney to ensure that you get what you need and deserve. If you accept an offer, you can expect a fairly quick check from the insurance company.
Court Judgments
In the case of a judgment handed down by a judge, there are normally time limits attached to the payment of monies, and this time varies from few weeks to months. Keep in mind that the defendant has the right to file an appeal, which will freeze the judgment amount until it is finally decided. Appeal cases are always presided over by a court that is at least one level higher than the previous.
To learn more about what to expect after your personal injury verdict or settlement, speak to your attorney. Click here for more info.
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