One of the deciding factors for many accident victims in a personal injury case is the length of time the case might take to settle. You’ve been injured, you’re out of work recovering, bills are piling up and your paycheck is non-existent, and you want to know when you can expect your case to close and a check to come your way. This is a trying and stressful time in your life, and you are not alone in feeling this way. Our attorneys have ample experience working personal injury cases for our clients, and we know how important it is to you that we work quickly, efficiently, and diligently so you can rest easy and put this behind you.
Personal Injury Cases
When you’re involved in an accident, you want results. You have been through more than you care to handle, and you want someone to pay for their negligence and what it cost you. It’s perfectly understandable. What you must know about personal injury cases is they are all different. The length of time it takes to settle a case like this can range from a few weeks to a few months to a few years. Many variable factors are taken into consideration, and they’re not easily determined without knowing the specifics of your case.
When an accident occurs, the insurance company representing the at-fault party might make a settlement offer. It’s low, insulting, and typically doesn’t even begin to cover the cost of an accident of this nature. You have medical bills, perhaps you have long-term care medical needs as a result, and you might experience lost wages and pain and suffering. Now is not the time to accept a lowball offer. Once you do, your ability to sue becomes non-existent.
Trial Preparation
Sometimes insurance companies don’t bother making an offer. They want to deny all liability for the accident that occurred, so they’ll offer nothing. It’s at this time we begin work to prepare for a pre-trial and eventually an actual trial. This includes an investigation of the accident. Our team might recreate the accident, work to find new witnesses, examine old evidence for new information, and we work with you to find out what you need to make life a little easier.
We have no control over the date of a trial if it comes to this. The other counsel, a judge, and all schedules are taken into account when a trial is scheduled. Some people see their case taken to court quickly and others wait much longer. There is always a chance the at-fault party’s insurance agency could make another settlement offer during this time frame. The more work we do, the more we can prove, and the better our case becomes, the more likely they are to make an offer.
This offer is typically much higher than the previous offer. They might assume they’re going to lose and pay much more, or they might not want to spend any more time and money on the case. When this offer comes in, we will examine it with you and make a decision. If you choose not to accept it or no secondary offer is made, we proceed to trail.
Trial and Settlement
Once a case goes to trial, there is a chance you could lose. There is also a chance the opposing counsel might make one more offer to try and settle the case outside of court. Anything can happen, and we’ve seen it all. There is no timeline for a case such as this, and many people find it frustrating they’re not given a more comprehensive answer.
Your personal injury case could take weeks. It could take months, or it could drag on for years. We do our best to make things happen as quickly and efficiently as possible, but our hands are often tied due to the needs and demands of the opposing counsel and the schedule of the judge on our case. We work for you, but we cannot tell you precisely how long it will take us to work for you when you present your case as a potential lawsuit.