Malone, NY Personal Injury Law Firms & Lawyers

I can answer your first question ("Do I have to settle a case if my attorney says so?) but not the second one ("How much do you think my case is worth?"). People hire attorneys to provide them advice and guidance about their case, including whether to settle, how much to settle for and the risks involved of not settling and going to trial. However, the client always gets to make the decision whether to settle their case. An attorney cannot settle a case without his or her client's consent. So to answer your first question, you do not have to settle your case just because your attorney says you should. However, you should listen to your attorney and ask him or her why he or she believes you should settle. With the exception of some workers' compensation cases, no attorney cannot predict with 100% certainty what a judge or jury would do if you took a case to trial. Attorneys should be able to give reasonable ranges of what cases such as yours settle for as well as what judges and juries award. Even though you list your injuries I cannot answer the question as to what your case might be worth as I do not have enough information. For example, I do not know whether this a personal injury or workers' compensation case. If it is a personal injury case, you do not indicate how you were injured so I do not know if you were partially at fault, which would reduce your value of your case by your percentage of fault. There are many other items that I would need to know to determine what your case might be worth. As I indicated, you should discuss with your attorney what the settlement offer to you is and why he or she thinks you should take it and the possible risks of not settling and going to trial. Your attorney should be able to give you a range of what your case might be worth. If he or she cannot, you may want to consult with another attorney who could provide that information as it is something you need to be able to make an informed decision whether to settle. DISCLAIMER: This response should be considered general in nature, for information purposes only and should be used only as a starting point for addressing legal questions and issues. It is based on the limited information provided and, in some instances, makes certain assumptions. It is intended only for cases involving Nebraska and Nebraska law and is not applicable to any other state or jurisdiction. The author does not warrant the accuracy or validity of the information contained within this response, and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions. In addition, this response is not a substitute for professional legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor should it be considered a solicitation for additional legal advice or legal representation. If you ignore this warning and convey confidential information in a private message or comment, there is no duty to keep that information confidential or forego representation adverse to your interests. You should seek the advice of a licensed attorney in the appropriate jurisdiction to fully discuss your case. You should be aware that there are Statute of Limitations (the deadline imposed by law within which you may bring a lawsuit) as well as other requirements and/or limitations that limit the time you have to file any potential claims you may have. This response may be considered advertising in some jurisdictions under any and all applicable laws and ethical rules. The listing of any area of practice that the author practices in does not indicate any certification or expertise therein, nor does it represent that the quality of legal services to be performed would be greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. It is merely an indication by the author of areas of law in which he practices. The determination of the need for legal services and the choice of a lawyer are extremely important decisions and should not be based

Your friend's homeowner's insurance policy likely has a "med pay" provision which will pay up to it's limits (usually only a few thousand) without regard to fault/negligence, so you may want to avail yourself of that coverage.