How to Measure If You Won the Case?
Winning and losing when it comes to lawsuits is not as easy to measure as many people may think. Most court cases don’t go all the way to a trial and aren’t decided by a pronouncement from the judge. Settlement is the most frequent outcome in litigation. A “sure thing” with a positive result is often times preferable to “rolling the dice” after a long trial with an uncertain outcome.
So how do you know if the settlement your attorney is recommending can really be considered a win for you? You have to have a hardworking, experienced lawyer working for you, and then you can have confidence you’re getting the most out of your settlement that’s available.
We were proud of one settlement recently, which showed just how variable an outcome can be without the right lawyer working for you. A client came to us after his prior attorney had attempted to settle his case. The attorney told him the offer was $20,000, and that was the best that could be done.
Well, it turned out that $20,000 was only the best that could be done without putting the work into the case that the client deserved. We took the case, and pursued the claim as it should have been done. Just before trial, we were offered $40,000—double what had been deemed “can’t do better.” That was what we felt was the best could be done based on the client’s injuries and recovery.
Sometimes an offer is the best that can be gotten, but you won’t know you have the best offer, unless you know you have the right attorney working hard on your behalf to really go for the win. If you aren’t happy with what’s been offered you can always go to trial.
As a client who doesn’t regularly deal with Illinois work injuries, it’s of course a challenge to know if what you have been offered is fair. There is no sure test, but if your lawyer has been lazy before the offer was made, it’s probably a sign that a better result can be had.
We are workers' compensation attorneys that help people with Illinois work injuries anywhere in IL via our statewide network of attorneys. Contact us and we will answer your questions or find the right lawyer for your situation.
