Most personal injury cases are settled out of court; estimates show less than 5 percent of all personal injury cases in the United States will go to trial. In Oregon, an auto accident case has about a one percent chance while a medical malpractice case has about a 50 percent chance. This low trial rate can be beneficial to all parties involved for several reasons. Trial is expensive and both sides have to pay significant sums for experts and other costs associated with trial. For defendants, going to court is costly and risky; it’s safer and more affordable for them, their insurance provider, and their legal team to reach an agreement through negotiations. For you, the victim, settlements can often be achieved much sooner than a verdict in a trial. Additionally, in out-of-court negotiations, your lawyer can continue negotiating until a favorable settlement is reached. In a trial, a verdict handed down by a judge or jury is final. For all these reasons — and based on the statistics — it’s safe to assume that you will likely resolve your personal injury case out of court.