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How long will it take to obtain compensation for my injuries?

Product Liability

If there is one question accident victims ask most frequently, it’s how long it will take to receive compensation for their injuries. Filing a lawsuit against a driver who caused an accident that might change your life forever isn’t a quick process, and compensation doesn’t come immediately. Unfortunately, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Some accident victims find the other insurance company wants to settle quickly and quietly, and others aren’t so eager to settle without a fight. Some people might receive their compensation within a few weeks of their accident, and other cases could take several years. There’s no way to tell what might occur when you make the decision to file a lawsuit.

Fast Settlements

This isn’t a guarantee, but most people are able to settle quickly and obtain compensation right away if they are willing to accept less than they want. If you’re just looking for a quick payday to help you cover the cost of your medical bills from injuries associated with the accident, you can receive compensation in a matter of weeks if you take a small payout. If you need or want more, you’ll find it takes a lot longer to negotiate and settle your claim.

Long Wait Times

If you are seriously injured in a car accident, personal injury attorneys encourage you to look for a solution to the long-term issues you’ll face rather than the immediate financial need you might face. You can’t afford to accept less than you need if your injuries are serious. Accepting the first or second offer that comes your way means you might not find compensation for the long-term care you need. If your injuries aren’t that serious, this is less of an issue.

– Long-term medical care
– Rehabilitation
– The inability to return to work
– The inability to earn a living in the same business
– Life-changing injuries

If your entire life is changed because of your injuries, you need more than the insurance company is willing to offer now. You could need a special piece of medical equipment that requires you to move into a wheelchair-friendly home or build on additions, remodel, or renovate your home to accommodate your new equipment. You might need a new vehicle, around-the-clock nurse, or you might be required to live in an assisted-living facility for the rest of your life. You might have injuries that require dozens of surgeries, visits to the doctors weekly or more often, and you might have medical needs for the rest of your life.

If your injuries prevent you from returning to work or to the same profession you once worked in, you can face additional financial issues. Your life is not going to improve if you take a quick payout from an insurance company. You’ll wait much longer in this case, and that’s because there is so much more money at stake.

Legal matters might also take longer, and you might not be able to settle your case if you have not recovered enough. What this means is you might need to go through serious surgeries to recover, and there is no way to tell right now how many you might need and what might happen. Insurance companies need you to reach a point of medical improvement before they can issue you payment.

There are so many factors associated with the kind of case you have, and there are many factors associated with how long it will take you to receive compensation.

Issues Might Arise

Another factor is any issues that might arise. There could be any number of things that occur during your case that cause it to go on even longer. There are so many issues that could occur that could make the compensation settlement take even longer to occur. You’ll need to prove the other driver was negligent to earn more compensation, but the other driver might skip town, pass away, or even cause another accident. Evidence might change, witnesses might change their stories, and many other things might occur.

The length of time it takes for your case to settle varies. It depends on what you want, the severity of the case, and it even depends on who you are suing. You might find it’s a much longer process if the person responsible for your accident and injuries is a business. If, for example, you are injured in a construction accident, you might find the company has high-powered attorneys who drag out the case, fight everything you say, and who might not be so willing to offer a settlement.

On the other side of that, you might find being involved in a lawsuit with a business like this means you are offered a higher settlement much sooner if the business wants the negative publicity to go away as quickly as possible.

The simple fact is there is no way to know how long it will take before you are compensated for your injuries. Your case is not the same as anyone else’s, and your situation could affect the length of time it takes. You get to make some decisions in the matter, but there’s very little you can do to seek compensation on your own timeline. You won’t know until you are involved in this situation, and there’s no exact time.