"Judges as Docket Managers - Still Sure You Want to Try That Case?"

Increasingly, judges with backlogged dockets see themselves as "docket managers," discouraging litigants from taking cases to trial.  Recent attempts by defendants to disqualify Judge Aaron Polster from an October opioid trial reflect concerns that judges have made up their minds to pressure settlements in lieu of hearing all the evidence.  What implications does this trend have for claim professionals, pondering whether to pay a dubious claim or take it to trial?