Before I began representing injury victims, I spent several years defending personal injury lawsuits on behalf of insurance companies. This dual experience gives me a unique perspective on how long it can take to obtain an injury settlement and the factors influencing these timelines.
Understanding the Injury Settlement Timeline
Some injury claims can indeed settle quickly, while others may take several months or even years to reach a resolution. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how long it will take to settle your injury claim. However, I can provide some insights based on my years of experience.
Factors That Impact the Injury Settlement Timeline
While most injury cases with clear liability eventually settle, there’s no guarantee that your case will settle swiftly, or at all. Here are some factors that can impact the time it takes to obtain an injury settlement:
- Severity of the injury: Cases with significant injuries exceeding the available policy limits typically settle faster. In Kentucky, for example, the minimum liability insurance coverage for an automobile policy is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. If your injuries are significant enough that they are valued above these limits, such as a torn rotator cuff injury from a car accident, your case could settle quickly after a written demand to the other driver’s insurance company if the at-fault driver only had the minimum required policy limits.
- Medical treatment progress: It is often unwise to rush a settlement, as it may be impossible to determine a fair value for your case until you’ve completed treatment or reached maximum medical improvement. In general, the more medical treatment you need to have as a result of your accident, the higher the potential value of your injury case.
- Medical record collection: Gathering medical records and bills can be a time-consuming process, especially if certain providers are not cooperative, which is often the case for many medical providers. This delay can impact the settlement timeline.
- Insurance company procedures: Once a demand package is submitted to the insurance company, there’s often a waiting period for the adjuster’s response. This could involve a comprehensive review process within the insurance company, which will take some time.
- Filing of a lawsuit: If a settlement can’t be reached with the insurance company, the next step is to file a lawsuit. Although this could potentially motivate the insurance company to settle (to avoid litigation costs), more often than not, they proceed with hiring a defense lawyer, leading to a litigation process that could last months or even years.
Don’t Wait, Call Tate!
At the end of the day, the length of an injury case is unpredictable. It could take weeks, or oftentimes years, to obtain an injury settlement in your case. Navigating personal injury claims can be complex and often overwhelming. Understanding the settlement timeline can better prepare you for the process ahead. In any case, having a seasoned personal injury lawyer by your side can be a game-changer. Tate Meagher and his team are ready to fight for your rights for Kentucky injury victims. Don’t Wait, Call Tate! Today, for a free legal consultation to discuss your injury claim.
