Each personal injury case is different, but knowing what to expect in terms of the time required to reach a settlement will enable you to plan for how to deal with the loss of income and the medical bills resulting from your injury. Read further to learn how long it will take to settle your Muskogee personal injury claim, and why.
Settling Your Muskogee Personal Injury Claim
If you have been injured in Muskogee due to the fault of others, you may be wondering how long it will take to settle your personal injury claim, if you decide to file one. Unfortunately, this is not an easy question to answer and there is rarely a clear-cut answer. How long it takes to settle your Muskogee personal injury claim depends on a number of factors, most significantly the seriousness of your injuries, the circumstances that contributed to your injury and how easily fault can be established.
Every case is different, therefore it is difficult to estimate accurately how long it will take to settle your claim. Accident injury and slip and fall cases are normally settled within a couple of years. However, medical malpractice cases normally take considerably longer to settle, due to the complexities of these cases.
Most Muskogee personal injury claims are settled before going to trial, and in most cases this is desirable. But sometimes, it is necessary to go to trial to get all of the compensation that you seek.
When You Need to File a Lawsuit
Typically, a lawsuit is only necessary when the other party’s insurance company takes issue with: their client’s liability, the seriousness of your injuries or the amount of compensation. If it’s necessary to go to court to settle your Muskogee personal injury claim, time must be allocated to account for the initial trial and a potential appeal.
If, and when, you do file a lawsuit, the parties will begin with what is called pretrial discovery. During this period, which typically lasts six months to a year, the parties to the lawsuit exchange evidence and compile information regarding the case. This includes evaluating your injuries and obtaining medical records, examining police reports, obtaining oral depositions, gathering witnesses, and investigating all other aspects of the claim. This pre-trial period is also the time when most settlement offers are made.
If you do agree to a settlement, you will be required to sign an agreement releasing the other party from any further liability for your injuries.
So, before signing any type of release, you should take the time to have your injuries thoroughly examined. Sometimes the actual extent of your injuries will not be observable until some time has passed. If you sign a release before knowing the full extent of your injuries, you will be barred from receiving any further compensation for any medical treatment you require after you settle.
Low-cost Consultation: Muskogee Personal Injury Lawyer
For an estimate of how long it will take to settle your personal injury claim, call Wirth Law Office – Muskogee for a initial strategy session with a Muskogee personal injury attorney. Call 918-913-0725 or toll free at 1-888-447-7262 [Wirth Law].
If you prefer to contact us by email, use the form at the top of this page.
