How Long Do Personal Injury Cases Take?

Categories: Personal Injury Law

how long personal injury case

There is an old saying that “the wheels of justice turn at their own pace.” When it comes to personal injury cases, some cases can be settled in a matter of months. Still, other complex cases may take several years to be fully resolved. The experienced lawyers and team at Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers have helped hundreds of clients reach a settlement for their personal injury claims. Whether the claim can be resolved quickly through settlement or requires more than a year of dedicated litigation, Brian’s team is ready to help.

The Personal Injury Claim Process Involves Multiple Steps

Many factors can contribute to the length of a personal injury case. For instance, some accident victims require multiple surgeries and extended therapy to recover from an injury fully. Each medical treatment or therapeutic session can add value to your personal injury claim, but it can also add time toward the ultimate resolution of your case. To understand why an injury claim can take time to resolve, you should be familiar with the process.

Consult with an experienced attorney

The first step in your personal injury claim process should always be to consult with an attorney. While you should always seek immediate medical attention in the event of a serious injury stemming from an accident, it is recommended that you consult with your attorney as soon as possible. You want to avoid making any statements to medical professionals that might impact your claim.

During your first meeting with an injury attorney, providing as much information as possible will be important. Your attorney will want to review the medical evidence and records available to you and any police or investigatory reports that have been prepared concerning the events leading to your injury. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney helps you get the compensation you deserve. At Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers, we offer a free initial case evaluation to discuss your claim and evaluate the evidence.

Receive appropriate medical treatment

After an accident-related injury, you may need to see a physician to treat ongoing pain and suffering. In some cases, accident victims require surgery, or multiple surgeries, to recover from the physical trauma of an accident. The financial burden of multiple doctor visits, surgeries, physical therapy sessions, and prescription drugs can be overwhelming. These treatments can also take many months to complete, and it may not be in your best interest to resolve your personal injury claim before you have received all necessary medical attention.

Attempt to negotiate a Settlement

The next step in the process is attempting to negotiate a resolution of your claim through settlement. During this phase, your attorney will act as the intermediary between you and the person who caused your injury or their insurance company. Insurance companies hire their own attorneys who try to limit the amount of money paid to compensate you for an accident-related injury. In turn, your attorney will try to negotiate a reasonable settlement amount for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other available remedy.

Over the past 30 years, Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers has successfully negotiated for tens of millions of dollars in settlements for their clients. Often claims can be settled before you even have to file a lawsuit. If you can settle your claim before filing a lawsuit, you will save a great deal of time, and you can return to focusing on the important things in life.

Read more: How To Avoid These 10 Common Insurance Company Tricks 

File a personal injury lawsuit

If pre-lawsuit negotiation is unsuccessful, the next step is for your attorney to file a lawsuit in the appropriate court. Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers are licensed in the State of Florida, meaning they can file a case on behalf of a client in any court in the entire state.

When you consult with an attorney early in the process, you put yourself in the best position to pursue your legal rights. Importantly, if you wait too long to consult with a personal injury lawyer, you may miss important filing deadlines, called the statute of limitations. Generally, you must file a lawsuit within a certain time after your injury. Otherwise, you may be barred from bringing a claim forever.

Were you or a loved one injured in an accident?

The law offices of Brian D. Guralnick help Florida residents and tourists seek compensation and Demand More? for their injuries.

Read more: When Do Personal Injury Cases Go To Trial?

Trial

When the parties in a personal injury case cannot reach a settlement, the claim will ultimately proceed to a trial. Typically, it may be one or two years from the time a case is filed until it is scheduled for trial. A personal injury trial can last a day, a week, or even several weeks.

In Florida, you would be wise to work with an attorney who has experience taking cases to trial. At Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers, we have a partner board-certified civil trial lawyer. Less than 1% of all attorneys in Florida have received this certification.

Whether your personal injury claim can be settled quickly or whether it takes months, the caring professionals at Brian D. Guralnick Injury Lawyers are dedicated to helping you receive the compensation you are entitled to.

Brian D. Guralnick

About the Author: Brian D. Guralnick

Brian D. Guralnick is a top-rated attorney practicing in the West Palm Beach, Florida area. Providing legal representation in Florida for a variety of different issues, Brian D. Guralnick was selected to Super Lawyers for 2006. He is admitted to practice before the courts in Florida since 1993.