Settlement

A settlement is the negotiated payment that resolves a PI claim without (or before the end of) a trial. It is the moment the money becomes real — and the point at which every lien, subrogation claim, fee, and cost is paid from a single pool.

The distribution problem. The settlement rarely splits cleanly. Attorney fees come off the top, then case costs, then medical liens and subrogation, and whatever remains is the client's net. When claims exceed the recovery, reductions are negotiated to make the numbers work.