Settlement discussions are admissible for which purpose?

Settlement discussions are admissible for which purpose?

• A. To prove liability
• B. To prove negligence
• C. To prove causation
• D. Impeachment

Answer: (D)

Settlement discussions are protected from being used to prove fault or liability. The main point is that offers to settle and statements made during settlement talks cannot be admitted to establish liability, negligence, or causation. The reason is to encourage candid negotiations without turning settlements into evidence of who was at fault. However, these discussions can be used for impeachment when they reveal a witness’s bias or interest in the outcome. That is, they can affect a witness’s credibility rather than prove the facts of the claim. Because impeachment through showing bias is the permitted purpose, the correct choice is impeachment.

Settlement discussions are protected from being used to prove fault or liability. The main point is that offers to settle and statements made during settlement talks cannot be admitted to establish liability, negligence, or causation. The reason is to encourage candid negotiations without turning settlements into evidence of who was at fault.

However, these discussions can be used for impeachment when they reveal a witness’s bias or interest in the outcome. That is, they can affect a witness’s credibility rather than prove the facts of the claim. Because impeachment through showing bias is the permitted purpose, the correct choice is impeachment.