How Long Will My Personal Injury Case Take?

How long will it take to resolve my personal injury case? This is one of the most frequently asked questions we hear from our clients. Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question. We understand you desire to have your personal injury claim resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible; that’s why our personal injury lawyers do everything in their power to move your case along in a timely matter. However, every personal injury case is different and a number of factors will affect the timeline of your claim. One major factor which will determine how long your cases lasts is whether you can reach a settlement or have to go to court.

A settlement relies almost entirely on whether or not the other party’s insurance company is willing to make a reasonable settlement offer. If you have an extremely strong case with severe injuries, or a simple, clear-cut case with minor injuries, your case could settle in as little as a few months. Your case may take much longer to settle if it involves complicating factors such as:

• uncertain liability or damages
• significant damages (big money)
• severe injuries with ongoing treatment
• the defendant believes you are exaggerating

In these situations, the other party’s insurance company and attorneys will make sure they have done their due diligence before offering a settlement. Sometimes a mediator is needed to help the two parties reach an agreement.

The important thing to remember when considering a settlement is that, once you accept, you will no longer be able to change your mind if you decide you should have received more compensation. With this in mind, insurance agents will often attempt to pressure you into settling quickly. Do not be fooled by this. It usually means that they are offering you less than you deserve. Plus, you should never accept an offer before having a complete medical diagnosis and knowing the full extent of your injuries. This is one of many reasons why it is important to have an experienced personal injury lawyer representing you. Our injury attorneys settle many cases and know what is a fair settlement and what is not.

Court cases usually take longer to resolve than settlements. Once you have filed a lawsuit there are many steps that need to be taken. There will be preliminary hearings, a discovery period when each side gathers evidence and builds a case, motions made by each party that need to be ruled on, and finally, a trial date. All of this takes time. Furthermore, everything is dependent on the court’s schedule which can cause your case to take longer than expected if the court is busy and needs to schedule your court date many months out.

Taking a case to court can be a frustrating and long process, but it may be necessary if the parties are unable to reach a settlement. Our injury attorneys understand how anxious this process makes our clients, so we handle every aspect of your case; your main job is to respond quickly and show up when you are needed. Moreover, because our personal injury attorneys are used to handling court cases, we know how to move your case along as swiftly as possible and keep delays to a minimum. Even so, a court case can take up to several years to resolve. Despite these issues, our attorneys are experienced at taking a case before a jury and won’t hesitate to do so if a settlement cannot be reached.

Here at The Collins Law Firm, we understand that you want to know how long your case will take and realize how stressful the waiting and the process can be for most people. Our team of experienced personal injury lawyers will be by your side every step of the way and will do everything possible to ensure your case is resolved quickly. If you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, call us at (630) 527-1595 or fill out ourcontact formfor a free evaluation of your injury case. The sooner we start working for you, the sooner your claim can be resolved.