As with all personal injury cases, most dog bite cases will settle out of court. However, there are some instances where dog bite cases will resort to going to trial. Figuring out whether or not your dog bite case will settle out of court or not depends on several factors.
John Foy & Associates has dog bite attorneys available to help you figure out all of the legal aspects surrounding your dog bite injury. We can help with all of the specific questions you may have about your case. We are available 24/7 to provide you with assistance.
Never Accept the Initial Settlement Offer
The initial settlement insurance companies offer might tempt you to settle fast so you can avoid negotiations or a trial. If you accept the initial offer provided by the insurance company, you will settle out of court but not in your favor. These initial offers will almost always favor the insurance company and primarily relieve themself of the responsibility of paying you fair compensation.
Don’t let the temptation of settling out of court quickly override common sense. It is much better to be patient and wait for negotiations to settle.
Settling Out of Court Can Also Work Against You
If you don’t retain legal representation, insurance companies will pressure you into accepting a low-ball settlement offer. They will often delay the negotiations process, so you succumb to taking whatever settlement amount they’re willing to give you. A strong lawyer by your side will prevent them from using these tactics against you.
Many insurance companies will often just resign their efforts when you get a good dog bite attorney to represent you. This is because they don’t want to go to trial and fight a lengthy legal battle which is costly for them. Instead, they will pay you the compensation you deserve.
Why do Some Cases Go to Trial?
If the insurance company truly believes in their arguments against you and negotiations continue to amount to nothing. A trial is the only way to get the compensation you deserve. While trials often take much longer than settling out of court, it’s worth it to receive your settlement. You’ve already suffered and worked too hard to come out with nothing.
Insurance companies will rarely go to trial, but if they do, it is usually because they believe they can prove that your damages were either your fault or not caused by your dog bite injury. Regardless, our lawyers will stick by you until the end. We won’t accept any payment until you win your settlement.
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Will My Case Go to Trial?
This is hard to say. While we can’t make any hard guarantees without first reviewing your case, the chances of your claim going to trial are pretty slim. More often than not, insurance companies won’t waste their time with a trial. They’d rather just pay you your settlement and move on.
In 2020, insurance companies paid out more than $800 million in settlements to dog bite victims, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III). That’s a lot of money that insurance companies pay out. You should expect some resistance against your claim, but a trial isn’t very likely unless they feel compelled to win against you.
Usually, dog bite injury claims that result in millions of dollars will lead to a trial. The average dog bite settlement varies, but if yours isn’t at that level, then you don’t need to worry too much about having to go to court for your settlement.
Will Your Lawyers Win a Settlement without Going to Court?
If you take a look at our results over the past 25 years, we have recovered over $1 billion for our clients. Most of the compensation we recover happens outside of court. You don’t always need to resort to a trial to get the maximum amount of compensation.
We pride ourselves on working hard for our clients. Our number one goal is to represent your best interests and win you the best settlement possible. You can trust in our attorneys to fight hard on your behalf.
Call Our Law Firm Today to Learn More
To find out more about all of the legal options available to you for your dog bite case, please give us a call to set up a meeting with one of our dog bite attorneys. Remember, you only have two years to file a claim under the Georgia code, so get in touch with us as soon as possible to begin building your case.
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