How Long Does a Personal Injury Lawsuit Take?

Getting into an accident and suffering a personal injury is nobody’s idea of fun. There is often a lot of pain involved. You may have multiple doctors to deal with. You may be missing work. 

All these damages take a toll. They add up, and over time, you could be spending tens of thousands of dollars to deal with a personal injury. This is a lot of money, especially if you are not working. If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, you will want to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation from the negligent party and their insurance company.

This begs the question: How long will this take? When can you expect to receive compensation?

If you reach a settlement with an insurance company,  the process, from start to finish, will take just under one year on average. The average time between the injury and the settlement award is 11.2 months. However, this is just an average and not indicative of every personal injury lawsuit. Some victims receive compensation in less than two months. For others, it could take two years. 

It is understandable that after an accident, you want compensation quickly. You have bills to pay. You are out of work. You need money now. But there is no simple answer as to when you can expect to receive compensation. 

From the time you file your lawsuit, getting compensation could take any amount of time. The spectrum could range from three to four months or one to two years. Something to keep in mind is that most personal injury lawsuits settle outside of court. A settlement means you will get your money more quickly than if you went to court. That is because courts are backed up, and waiting for a hearing can take forever.

There are some things that can delay the process, which means you may not receive compensation as quickly. For example, if a person is seriously injured, it could take a long time for them to reach maximum medical improvement. This means they may need future treatments. No matter how badly you need money, you should never settle before it can be determined how much future medical care you will need. Medical treatment is expensive, and you want to ensure you receive adequate compensation to pay for your expenses. 

Also, there could be disputes over liability. If a party does not feel they are to blame for the accident, then they could dispute the allegations, which could cause delays.

Another thing to consider is that it could be a major accident with a lot of elements and details. It is important for lawyers and insurance companies to examine all these details to determine liability and damages.

Contact Us Today

No two personal injury cases are alike. Insurance companies do not usually want to pay up quickly, so it could take months or even more than a year to get compensation. 

Contact an Arizona personal injury lawyer from Saavedra Law Firm, and we will work quickly to get you results. We will fight to get you a fair outcome. Fill out the online form or call (602) 753-8917 to schedule a free consultation.