HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO REACH A RESOLUTION OF MY PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM?
Clients who have recently been in a car accident often ask the same question – how long will my personal injury case take to settle? Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to know exactly how long a client’s claim will take because every client’s accident, injuries, and facts surrounding their case are different. Most personal injury claims do end in settlements, but they vary greatly in the length of time required to reach a resolution. Clients should understand some factors that are involved in the settlement process.
Legal and Factual Issues
In some cases, there may be legal and factual conflicts that cause a client’s claim to take longer to resolve. Some of these conflicts can be resolved through investigation by an attorney in obtaining the following: medical bills, treatment notes, traffic accident reports, witness interviews, photographs of injuries, photographs of the scene, accident reconstruction reports, employment and lost wage information.
Insurance Companies
Insurance companies often want to settle personal injury claims as soon as possible, however, they can also prolong the process of resolving a claim. They make quick settlement offers to limit their liability. A quick settlement may be tempting, however, a quick settlement may fail to reflect the full extent of your injuries and the cost of your medical expenses. The recovery from an injury, depending on its severity, can take months of treatment and rehabilitation.
Damages Involved
Sometimes personal injury cases will involve large amounts of money damages due to expensive medical bills or third party claims. Insurance companies will often delay offering the adequate amount in cases with a lot of money at stake, but an attorney will make sure that they are offering the fair amount for your circumstances.
Filing a Lawsuit
If you and your attorney have reached a point where it is time to settle and the insurance company does not want to pay, then you and your attorney will have to decide if it makes sense to file a lawsuit. Personal injury claims must be filed within one year of the date of injury. The attorneys at Kelli Haas & Associates know how to effectively present the information needed to give your claim the best chance of reaching a settlement before having to go through the litigation process. If you have been injured in an accident, don’t wait, give us a call today at (615) 567-7300 or email Kelli Haas directly at kelli@khalawgroup.com or Michael Small directly at michael@khalawgroup.com.
