I see this fairly regularly. There is a cost analysis as to what it will cost to go to trial and the risk of a massive verdictl vs. what it will cost to settle. They even consider the judge's attributes (is he considered a plaintiff's judge?) as well as the political makeup of the jury pool. (For example, South Texas is renowned for having juries that give huge verdicts). And, it is often the insurance company and its underwriters/statisticians who call the shots, not the client.

I'm still convinced that the vast majority of these "accidents" were, in fact, negligent handling on the part of the owner ("MY FINGER NEVER TOUCHED THE TRIGGER!!!! HONEST!!!!"), or owners who adjusted or otherwise messed with the triggers without knowing what they were doing.