Factors Affecting the Timing of a Personal Injury Settlement

If you have suffered injuries in an accident because of someone else’s negligence, you have the right to file a personal injury claim. Your claim can be resolved by negotiating a settlement with the defendant’s insurance company or filing a civil lawsuit. The amount of time it takes to reach a settlement varies from case to case. Some cases are resolved within a short period of time, while others may take years to settle. Factors that affect the timing of a personal injury settlement include:

The nature of the case

Vehicle accident cases are resolved faster than others. Cases with complex factual or legal issues, especially those relating to medical malpractice or premises liability, may take a longer time to settle.

The complexity of the case

When important aspects of a case are in question, such as issues of liability and damages, it may require more time to process.

The jurisdiction of the case

Some jurisdictions may take longer to resolve the cases than others. Lawsuits may take longer in a busier jurisdiction that has a long list of cases for trial, than in a jurisdiction with fewer cases.

Medical evaluation Medical evaluation plays an important role in determining when a personal injury case will be settled. Usually, the personal injury attorney waits for all of the medical expenses and other damage reports to come in before settling the case. This may take longer in more complicated cases, such as when the extent of the injury is not known.

The insurance company that handles the case

The timing of a personal injury case also depends on the insurance company that handles the claim. Some have policies in place to resolve claims within a certain time period, while others take a long time to evaluate and resolve them.

Liability

When there is no dispute over liability, a case is settled quicker. If there is a dispute, a case may proceed to court in order to determine which party was at fault.

The personal injury lawyer

Different personal injury lawyers take different amounts of time to handle cases. Some delegate tasks to multiple people, while others handle the investigations, pleadings, and negotiations on their own. Some attorneys take more time to settle a case because they handle many cases at the same time. An experienced lawyer can handle a case more effectively and quickly.