What is the Average Time to Settle a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

A personal injury is what happens when a person suffers an injury in an accident that is due to another person’s negligence. That means personal injury is a broad umbrella term that covers a lot of different situations from car accidents to medical malpractice. When a person suffers a personal injury they are entitled to be compensated for the losses they suffered by the insurance company of the party responsible for the accident. Normally, the insurance company complies, but there are situations where they will either refuse to accept the settlement offer proposed by the victim’s attorney, or they will offer a settlement that is too low to cover the victim’s losses. When that happens, the victim has no choice but to sue.

If a personal injury victim decides to sue the party responsible for the accident, then they have a limited amount of time to do so before they are no longer allowed to sue. That is why legal experts like Bernheim, Kelley, Battista & Bliss suggest that victims of personal injuries contact an attorney as soon as possible after they have been in an accident. That way they will be far more likely to file their lawsuit on time if a lawsuit becomes necessary.

Average Time of a Personal Injury Lawsuit

The time to settle a personal injury case depends on the complexity of the case: the more complex the case, the longer it takes. Factors that can add to the complications of the case include the severity of the injuries suffered by the victim. The reason is that the victim will need to be compensated for their medical expenses and it is necessary to know what those bills will be before the injury claim is made or the lawsuit is filed.

Cases involving large companies such as a trucking company whose driver caused an accident or the manufacturer of a defective product can also take longer because those companies will have high-powered attorneys who will vigorously work to defend their client’s reputation. What all of this means is that a personal injury lawsuit could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years, it all depends on the various factors affecting the complexity of the case.

The Deadline For Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit

No matter how long a personal injury lawsuit takes, there is a limited amount of time in which that lawsuit can be filed. This is called the statute of limitations and it differs from state to state, but if a lawsuit is not filed within that time period, then it cannot be filed at all. The clock starts ticking from the time that the person gets injured, which is why they should consult an attorney as soon as possible. The statute of limitations is usually one to six years depending on the state, for example, Florida has a statute of limitations of four years for personal injury cases.

Consult an Attorney If You Suffered a Personal Injury

A personal injury settlement can last for a short time or a long time, but if you want the process to move as quickly as possible, then you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. No matter how long the case is likely to take, a personal injury attorney will expedite it as much as possible.