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The Timeline of a Personal Injury Case

By Karnas Law Firm |

How long it takes to resolve a personal injury case will vary, lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, or even over a year. The duration of a case depends on a lot of different factors, including the willingness of the at-fault party’s insurer to negotiate and agree to a settlement, or whether the parties will need to litigate the case in court. For an estimate of the timeline of your own personal injury case, reach out to our experienced Yuma personal injury lawyers today.

Your Medical Care Will Partly Dictate the Timeline of Your Case

One of the most important factors in determining how long it will take to resolve a personal injury case is the severity of the injuries sustained and the amount of time it takes to diagnose and start treating the injury. Generally, insurers are unwilling to settle a claim until after a person has already received treatment and is on the mend, so that they have a better idea of the damages of the case. Unfortunately, this could end up requiring the parties to wait for weeks or even months. Someone who requires ongoing medical care, may have a harder time convincing an insurer to settle when he or she doesn’t technically know what the final bill for treatment will be.

Investigating the Cause of the Accident

The cause of an accident will also largely dictate how long it takes to resolve a personal injury case. Generally, the more complicated a case is, the longer it will take to investigate and the more time will likely need to be dedicated to establishing fault, either during settlement proceedings or during litigation. Once a lawsuit has been filed, for instance, both parties will engage in a process known as discovery, where they and their attorneys will be required to gather and share evidence. This phase of litigation can end up being extremely time-consuming, adding weeks or even months to the timeline of a case.

Attempting Negotiation

Most personal injury cases don’t make it to trial, but are settled in out-of-court settings, where the at-fault party’s insurer agrees to pay the victim a certain amount in exchange for not filing a lawsuit. Attorneys often continue to attempt to negotiate even once the process of filing a civil lawsuit has already started. If a settlement is finally reached, then the lawsuit will effectively be ended. If, however, the parties cannot reach an agreement, they will need to take the case to trial, where a judge or jury will be tasked with determining fault and damages. In most cases, this process (of going to court) can take anywhere from several months to more than a year.

Working with a Yuma Personal Injury Attorney Can Help Move Things Along

If you were injured in an accident through no fault of your own, you may be starting to feel anxious about your recovery. With an experienced Yuma personal injury attorney on your side, you can feel much more confident about the resolution of your own case. Call (520) 462-2593 today to set up an initial consultation with the dedicated and compassionate Yuma personal injury lawyers at Karnas Law Firm, PLLC today.