Are Settlement Proposals Disclosed to the Jury?
We offered to settle my car wreck case for $40,000. The insurance company for the guy that caused the wreck only offered $22,000. Will the jury be told about what I was willing to take in settlement before trial? Will they be told that I was offered $22,000?
No. Absent extraordinary circumstances, settlement offers from either party are not admissible at a later trial. The purpose of this rule is to encourage people to engage in settlement discussions, and thus usually the proposals made by one side or the other are not admissible in a later trial.
Of course, there are certain exceptions to this general rule but I must say that they are quite rare. An experienced personal injury lawyer can explain whether any exception to the rule is applicable in your case.
