Taking a personal injury case to court requires patience. While most lawyers promise you money fast, they don’t reveal all the processes you go through before you get the payment.
Personal injury cases take months or years when complex to solve. Most of the claimants tend to settle a personal injury claim without going to court. The settlement however means taking less money.
If you feel you are the aggrieved party, then consider going to trial. This article investigates the factors that can determine the length of your personal injury claim.
- Severity of Injuries
Minor injuries like slip and fall cases take a shorter time to settle. The money and time involved in such cases are little hence the faster conclusions.
For severe injuries, you will require extensive medical care. This means a longer treatment period and more money involved. You need a longer period to get treatment and heal before you can launch the suit. The insurance might also not be willing to pay everything if a lot of money is involved.
The severe cases can take years to settle.
- Problematic Issue with the case
A personal injury claim involves two main factors: Liability and damages. Liability is who is at fault while damages are the extent of the injury.
Cases, where liability is easy to prove, take a short time to finalize. For cases where there is no outright liability, you will struggle to obtain any money without a fight from the defendant. The insurance will be unwilling to offer any form of settlement until after a pronouncement by the jury.
A problem involving damages is when the medical practitioner fails to confirm the injury resulted directly from the defendant’s negligence. The insurance will only offer compensation when you can prove negligence and impact.
- Your lawyer fails to work on your case
Most lawyers do not deal with a single client at any time. The popular ones tend to have several open cases hence can’t concentrate fully on your personal injury claim.
When the lawyer has too much, they take more time to gather evidence and present them in court.
Talk to your lawyer about their availability before you start the case. The lawyer should also keep you updated on every development of your case. Better still, visit website of the law firm to confirm operations.
- Demand and negotiations
Most personal injury claims end in settlements. Both parties in most cases would rather save the time and resources involved.
Your lawyer gives a demand to the insurance company of the defendant before they can receive a counteroffer. The case is then completed fast enough if you reach an agreement.
Without a successful demand and negotiation, you head to the courts which demands the collection and presentation of evidence. Also, the lawyer will only file a case after you have fully recovered. That is the only time to know the real worth of your case.
Conclusion
The length of your personal injury claim depends on various factors. The case is settled quickly for minor accidents. However, for severe injuries, you have to be patient enough to wait even for years.
Hire an experienced lawyer to help fast-track your personal injury claim.
