How Long Does It Take to Settle a Personal Injury Case?

In a perfect world, insurance companies would just pay out every claim that came across their desks. This way, people wouldn’t have to worry about lawsuits. However, we don’t live in a perfect world. If your insurance claim is denied, you’ll have no choice but to file suit. But you won’t have to do it alone. Your personal injury attorney in Douglasville, Georgia will do whatever they can to settle a personal injury case quickly. This way, you can get the money you deserve and get back to your normal life.

One thing our clients have a hard time accepting is that it takes time to settle a personal injury case. If the insurance company was eager to pay, they would have approved your claim. If they thought there was overwhelming evidence to prove that the other driver was at fault, they wouldn’t spend thousands of dollars fighting your claim.

There’s a reason why they’re doing this. Either they think they can win in court, or they think they can settle a personal injury case for much less down the road. Regardless of the reason, your personal injury attorney in Douglasville has to go through the process. They can’t force anyone to settle a personal injury case if they don’t want to.

More than 95% of All Personal Injury Cases Settle Out of Court

As much as you may want your day in court, there’s a big chance your case will settle. More than 95% of all personal injury cases settle out of court. Nobody really wants to go to trial. This applies to the insurance company as much as it applies to you. Trials are expensive. They are also time-consuming.

The money your personal injury attorney in Douglasville, Georgia spends on trial is money you don’t get to put in your bank account. When the trial is finally over, you have to reimburse your lawyer for all the money they spent on your case. And that’s if you win. If you go to trial, there’s no guarantee that you will.

When you go to court, be it in front of a judge or a jury, they get to decide for themselves who was at fault. They may see things differently than you. For example, they may find that you and the defendant were equally at fault. If this is the case, you walk away with nothing, so that’s why it may be best to settle a personal injury case before it gets to court.

It Can Take Some Time to Settle a Personal Injury Case

We understand that our clients want their money as quickly as possible. However, these things take time. As much as you want the defendant to pay your claim, they want to hold on to their money for as long as possible. Every day that money stays in their account is interest accruing in their pocket. They aren’t going to pay until they absolutely have to. Even if they eventually settle a personal injury case, they’ll do so when they feel ready to do it.

There are several reasons why the insurance company likes to drag things out. These include the following:

  • They know they’ll eventually have to pay but they’d rather hold on to their money for as long as they can
  • Your claim is large, and they think they can settle for less down the road
  • They may truly think they have a strong case
  • They have a large in-house legal team, so it doesn’t cost them anything extra to defend the claim

Your personal injury attorney in Douglasville knows all of this. They know which insurance companies try to drag things on forever. They also know which companies are on the up-and-up and will negotiate with you honestly and fairly.

personal injury attorney in Douglasville

Most Car Accident Lawsuits Take Several Months to Settle

Like it or not, it can take months or even years to settle a personal injury case. If your case was simple, the insurance company would have just paid your claim in the first place. There is a reason why they denied it. Your attorney’s job is to find out what this reason is and squash it. This takes time.

In order to prove your case, your personal injury attorney in Douglasville, Georgia may need months. They may have to talk to medical experts. They might have to hire an accident reconstruction specialist. They’ll want to talk to witnesses and find out what they have to say.

In addition to this, your lawyer has to go through the discovery process to settle a personal injury case. This is when the two parties exchange information. For example, your attorney can demand that the defendant produce a copy of their driving history. The defendant may demand that you send them a copy of your medical records. You don’t want to settle a personal injury case before this happens. You have no idea what kind of information you may uncover.

Your personal injury attorney in Douglasville is well aware of this. They want to know how strong the defendant’s case is before they start settlement negotiations. If you go in too low, you’ll never be able to raise the bar. If you go in too high, the defendant will walk away from negotiations altogether.

Call the Best Personal Injury Attorney Douglasville, Georgia Has to Offer Sooner Rather than Later

If you’ve been injured in a car crash, you have a right to be compensated for those injuries. Of course, if you were at fault, you can only blame yourself. However, if the other driver caused the crash, they should have to pay for their actions. Our personal injury attorneys in Douglasville can make this happen and help settle a personal injury case.

Nobody deserves to be hurt by the actions of another. If the other driver was negligent, they need to be held liable. Sometimes we forget about what happened and get focused on the financial aspect of these cases. The truth is that the defendant is the reason you’re in pain. It’s their fault that you can’t work the way you used to. It’s our job to make sure they’re held accountable.

We always recommend that car accident victims reach out to our office sooner rather than later. This gives our team as much time as possible to prepare your case. Ideally, we’ll be able to negotiate a settlement with the defendant’s attorney.

If not, we’ll take the case to trial and fight for every dollar you deserve. In order to do that, you need to call and schedule your free, initial consultation. Pick a date and time that works for you to sit down with one of our associates and discuss your case. Since the consultation is free, you don’t have to worry about paying anything upfront.