What is a Settlement?

Many of the cases brought in the American court system never make it to the full trial in front of a jury or a judge. These cases die before this point for a variety of reasons. Some are dismissed by a judge while others are dropped because the plaintiff opts not to follow through with the lawsuit. Many other lawsuits ‘die’ because they are settled long before they get to the point of a full trial in a courtroom.

A settlement is an agreement reached by a plaintiff and a defendant in reference to the lawsuit that has been filed. It typically will include monetary terms as well as any number of other terms that the parties agree to.

Settlements are reached for a number of reasons. Sometimes, if the defendant is a corporation or pubic figure, the publicity associated with the lawsuit may not be desired. In other cases, the costs of going through with the lawsuit are greater than the cost of paying out a settlement.

When a settlement is reached, it is done so with the consent of the plaintiff. The plaintiff’s lawyer represents him or her the entire time the negotiations are going on. The terms of the settlement are also subject to the agreement of the plaintiff. A company may want to make sure that the plaintiff doesn’t talk about his or her settlement. This can be because the corporation or company doesn’t want to be sued by everyone in hopes of receiving a settlement rather than going through with the lawsuit.

Settlements are good in that they reduce the time and energy required by everyone; however, they are not for everyone. Some actions are so heinous that they require a full trial to ensure that everyone knows of the defendant’s actions.

Contact a Harrisburg Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been injured in an accident, contact the Harrisburg personal injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 610-667-7511 today.