It seems to me like this is just a bribe to shut up about the cause of the lawsuit. It doesn't lead to justice, and is not punitive enough in the case of large corporations. I find this disgusting and immoral, but maybe I'm getting something wrong..? I hope so. Please explain to me why this is, I'm getting irrationally angry at the fact that no one goes to trial for anything, including environmental hazards, rape, etc. Edit: Found a source that details all the good reasons to go to trial instead of settling. Personally, an admission of guilt and *real consequences* to a misdeed are incomparably more important than a slap on the wrist like a settlement. https://www.askadamskutner.com/personal-injury/dont-settle-outside-of-court/ Edit 2: I see all the replies mentioning time and costs as the biggest reasons. And I get that, rationally. But sometimes people are irrational, I can't believe 90% of lawsuits settle... (actually it's 95% - https://thelawdictionary.org/article/what-percentage-of-lawsuits-settle-before-trial-what-are-some-statistics-on-personal-injury-settlements/ )