GM Settlement Claims Back On Again? Consult With An Attorney First
General Motors is regretting a bad settlement, again.
From the Associated Press:
“For more than a year, a lawsuit filed by Brooke Melton’s family has caused major migraines for General Motors. Litigation over the 29-year-old nurse’s death was settled by GM last October. But not before it laid bare how the company allowed millions of small cars to stay on the road more than a decade after GM discovered ignition-switch flaws linked to at least 13 fatalities.”
The legal team representing the late Ms. Melton and her family is trying to re-open the case due to negligence and a possible cover up by GM.
So upon getting into a serious car accident there are a lot of different concerns at play and most of these are medical and financial. Being unable to perform at work due to serious injury is something that the driver at fault should be liable for. Typically the other driver’s insurance coverage is going to be put forward to cover these costs, but in some situations the insurance company will put up a fight. Being able to receive compensation in a situation like this will help out a great deal in order to make sure life returns to normal. Costs such as physical therapy and other medical bills are all things that are typically covered by the insurance coverage of the other driver.
An attorney will be able to advise an accident victim about what sort of compensation they might be able to receive. Knowing when to settle and when to push forward is the job of an experienced civil litigation attorney, because they will have settled numerous, similar cases in the past. Of course no one knows what the outcome will be should a given case go to trial, and this is where the advice of an attorney can be especially invaluable. Most of the time civil litigation lawsuits involving a car accident are going to be settled out of court, because going to trial opens up the possibility of a larger settlement for the victim. This fact is not lost on the defense, who will find car accident statistics from TennandTenn.com very useful. As the site suggests, just in the state of New Hampshire where the firm operates, car accidents account for over $140 million in lost wages alone; every single year.
Asking several attorney’s to provide you with the most conservative course of action available will help to avoid the dangers of receiving no settlement at all. Of course, there will be certain instances where the other side is not willing to cooperate, and in these situations it could be necessary to go to trial. Going to trial can be very intimidating for some people out there, but if it is the only way to receive compensation, then it could be the last option available. Always make sure to be honest with your attorney prior to going to trial though, because they need to be prepared for any surprises that may occur. A qualified, experienced settlement attorney having an accurate picture of the situation is the best way to give yourself a solid chance at winning after deciding to go to trial.