When you suffer an unexpected injury caused by someone else, possibly in a car crash or on someone else’s property, you may have to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim. The more severe that injuries are, the more in need of financial assistance you may be in the days and weeks after your injury occurs.
While you may feel like you have an immediate need for compensation, it’s important to understand that the process of getting the maximum amount of personal injury compensation for your circumstances may take weeks or even months.
What’s involved in the personal injury claim process?
When you get serious about a personal injury claim, you will likely retain the services of an attorney who has experience in this area of law. You will have to gather documentation and information and provide that to your lawyer, who will then review the specifics of your case, state law and court rulings in similar legal cases in order to develop a strategy and place an appropriate value on your claim.
Your attorney can then file an insurance claim or approach the responsible party to begin negotiations. In some cases, you may be able to secure a relatively quick settlement outside of court. Other times, either because the other party simply won’t work with you or because the amount of compensation they offer is too low for the impact of the condition on your life, you may wind up going to court.
Obviously, cases that go to court can take substantially longer than those that settle outside of court. While speed can matter, getting the right amount of compensation so that you won’t wind up struggling in the future while still dealing with the consequences of your injury is of the utmost importance.
Given that it is impossible to predict a specific timetable because of all the variables involved in a personal injury case, it is best to assume that it will take months, if not a year or longer, to resolve. Working with your family to balance your finances until your case gets resolved can help you while waiting for the compensation you need.