Jury trials are certainly stressful for all of the parties involved in the litigation. Jury trials often take at least one week and sometimes even many weeks. If you are the injured party bringing the lawsuit you will be called the stand to testify about your injuries and how they have affected your life. You will be also called to testify about how your accident happened. This testimony could take as little as two hours, or as many as several days. Naturally, this is something that most people would rather avoid.
What Percentage of Cases Go To Trial Nationally?
The percentage of cases that actually go to trial nationally is less than 4%. That means that approximately 96% of all cases that are filed throughout the United States never make it to trial. So, nationally, there is an overwhelming chance that any injury case will be resolved short of a jury trial.
What About Michigan?
In Michigan, on average less than 2% of injury cases, make it to a jury trial. That means that your case stands and 98% chance of being resolved short of a trial. So, your case stands a very substantial chance that it will be settled at some point in time prior to (or on) the scheduled jury trial date.
How Will My Case Settle?
There are several ways the cases resolve short of a trial:
Pre-Lawsuit Settlement
Sometimes, a case will resolve before a lawsuit is even filed. These are cases that often involve very serious injuries, death and/or clear liability. This is the quickest and least expensive means of resolution.
Case Evaluation Settlement
During litigation, your case is likely to go to what is known as a case evaluation. This is where a panel of three attorneys discusses your case and they put a dollar figure on it as to what they think your case is worth. If all parties accept evaluation amount, then the case settles for that amount of money. If either side rejects then the case proceeds forward towards trial.
Facilitation
Often, prior to a trial, the judge will order the parties to the litigation to go to what is known as a facilitation hearing or conference. Here, a facilitator will act as a mediator between the parties to the litigation. The facilitator will spend 2 to 4 hours trying to resolve the case. This is usually the last best chance to resolve the case short of the jury trial.
“Settlement on The Courthouse Steps”
In cases of major damages, and/or disputed liability, a case sometimes resolves on the “courthouse steps” just before a jury trial is set to begin, or even during a jury trial proceeding. This is the most expensive and most time-consuming way to settle the case short of a jury verdict.
There’s no way of knowing for sure whether or not a case will go to a jury trial. However, the lawyers of Femminineo Law prepare every case as if it WILL be proceeding to a jury trial. This ensures that you get the best possible resolution to your case whether that is with a settlement prior to a jury trial, or through a jury trial itself.
Explore what your case could be worth using our settlement calculator, then call us to discuss your case with a seasoned injury attorneys of Femminineo Law.
