How Long Does it Take to Settle a Personal Injury Claim?

It depends. That's not a great answer, but it's the honest answer for how long it takes to settle a personal injury claim and obtain the settlement check.

With personal injury cases, there is a lot that can shorten or lengthen the time it takes for a case to conclude and for the injured party to receive the compensation they're owed from the liable party. Some of the things that can impact the amount of time it takes to settle include the following. 

Whether an Attorney is On the Case

If there is an attorney, like one from Kenny Perez Law, on the case, it's possible the case may take longer. However, this is generally good, because it can lead to a much higher settlement. Many people will accept the first settlement offer from the insurance company. With a lawyer to help, they'll know this isn't a good idea and that it's possible to negotiate a much higher settlement. 

Whether the Opposing Party Accepts Liability

If the at-fault party accepts liability, it can reduce the amount of time needed to settle. Since liability is accepted, there's no need to track evidence, prove who is at fault for the situation, and argue with the insurance companies over liability. If the opposing party does not accept liability, it may take longer for everything to conclude, depending on how long it takes to go through the evidence. 

The Complexity of the Case

More complex cases are going to take longer to conclude. If there is no clear evidence for liability, it may require more work to obtain that needed evidence and prove fault. If the victim was severely injured, it could require finding experts to testify regarding the potential chronic issues the victim will face or how long it may take for them to fully recover. This may be needed to obtain a higher settlement and make sure all expenses are covered. 

How Long Negotiations Take

The insurance company for the at-fault person is likely to offer a very low amount from the beginning. Their goal is to pay out as little as possible. This is the start of the negotiation process in the case, and the amount of time negotiations can take depends on whether the insurance company is willing to offer more money or how much they're going to fight increasing the amount of compensation given to the victim of the accident. 

Whether the Case Goes to Court

If the case ends up going to court because negotiations aren't successful, the whole case is going to take longer. It's going to require collecting evidence, putting together the case, going in front of a judge to defend the compensation amount requested, and waiting for the judge to make a decision. Depending on how busy the courts are, it could take a significant amount of time before the case goes in front of a judge. 

There is a lot that can go into determining how long it takes to resolve a personal injury case. Though some of this can't be avoided, an attorney can help speed up the process as much as possible while still helping their client obtain a higher settlement. Talk to an attorney about your case today to learn more about how long it may take before you receive compensation.