When consulting on legal nurse consultant jobs you might notice a plaintiff attorney rushing to get the case settled. Why? The attorney has a financial interest in expediting the litigation and trial process when the plaintiff is at risk of dying from the incident. Once the plaintiff dies, damages will be adversely affected because future medical expenses are off the table.
Likewise, defense firms will frequently do everything they can to drag out the case, with the intention of settling after the plaintiff has died. It’s win-win for the defense because that defense firm is still billing for the hours spent on the case, while their clients (insurance company and defendants) potentially have much to gain from a reduced settlement or verdict. For example, a $15 million case could be reduced to a $1-2 million case simply because the plaintiff died while the defense was foot-dragging.
On all legal nurse consultant jobs it pays to understand what’s motivating the attorney when he’s either rushing (plaintiff) or delaying (defense) settlement. Ask any attorney – it’s not personal, it’s just smart business.
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P.S. Comment and share situations where you’ve seen an attorney rush or delay settlement.