Accidents happen more often than people realize. You might slip on the wet floor of a café, injure yourself at work, or find yourself in a car crash. Personal injury cases ensure that victims of these accidents have a chance to pay their medical bills by compensating them.
Filing a personal injury case requires professional assistance, and the TopDog Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you through the process. They can do everything from filing the claim and negotiating with insurance companies to handling any other issues that arise.
Victims of personal injury accidents may wonder how long it will take to resolve their case, and this article will clarify the timeline and factors involved.
Stages in a Personal Injury Case
The steps involved in a personal injury case depend on the specifics of an accident, but most cases typically involve the following stages:
Investigation
Lawyers on both sides conduct an investigation to determine the facts of the case — what exactly happened, who was responsible for the accident, how badly people were injured, what laws were broken, and so on. This helps determine if there’s enough cause for a claim to hold in court.
Negotiation
Insurance companies pay for the damages in accidents, and your lawyer can negotiate with them to reach a settlement that benefits you. This is a crucial step in the process, because if the other party doesn’t agree to your terms, the case goes to trial.
Trial
When the parties involved in an accident fail to reach an agreement, there is a dispute about liability or other factors in the case, and the case is taken to court. The facts of the case are heard, and a judge or jury can help reach a verdict.
There can be several other steps in a personal injury case, but these are the most important ones.
Factors That Can Affect the Timeline of a Personal Injury Case
The time it takes to reach a verdict or settlement in a personal injury case can depend on the following factors:
Type of accident: Depending on the type of accident the victim was involved in, like a workplace injury or medical malpractice claim, the timeline of the claim can vary. It can take longer to
Extent of injuries: If the victim suffered serious injuries, they may have to wait till they’ve recovered enough to file the claim, which can extend the timeline.
Availability of evidence: It can be hard to pinpoint the course of events that lead to an accident, and evidence can be lost or forgotten over time. That can have a significant impact on the timeline of your case.
Number of people involved: Due to liability laws, the more people involved in a case, the more complex it can get. For example, if multiple people caused a car accident, they may each have a percentage of liability, and it can take longer to reach a settlement agreement with multiple defendants.
Insurance delays: Insurance companies are known to employ delay tactics and can extend their investigation, making the timeline longer for your case.
Court backlogs: The unfortunate reality is that courts are overwhelmed with cases, which means it may take a while before your case is addressed.
Final Thoughts
It typically takes around a year or two for the victim in a personal injury claim to receive a verdict. Knowing this timeline can help victims plan their finances so they’re not overwhelmed by medical bills or other costs that come with an injury. It can also help them plan their lives so they can be available for court hearings and insurance investigations.
