Personal injury claims can vary with regards to the time it takes to reach a conclusion. Different factors can affect this. Perhaps the most important factor is whether or not you are represented by an experienced personal injury solicitor who will see to it that your claim is dealt with quickly and effectively. However, other factors can affect the length of time that it takes to complete a claim, such as how easy it is to establish who is at fault, the time taken to negotiate the right amount of compensation and whether or not you have to go to court.
Determining who is at fault
One of the biggest factors that can affect the length of time it takes to complete a personal injury claim is how easy it is to ascertain who is at fault. If it is clear who is liable for the accident then claims can normally be dealt with very quickly, and are usually settled out-of-court. Timescales still vary, but typically, where somebody admits liability, a claim is normally settled between 6 months to a year. However, some types of personal injury claim, such as medical negligence, can be very complicated and will take longer.
Dealing with liability disputes
If the person you are claiming compensation from disputes the fact they are to blame, then the case will take longer. In addition, even if somebody admits to being at fault, they might dispute the amount of compensation you should receive. This too can add to the timescale.
However with an expert injury lawyer, these types of disputes are normally settled fairly quickly and may only take an extra month or two to resolve. If things can’t be settled, the case will eventually have to go to court.
What about the court hearings?
If you have to go to court because the person you are making your claim against refuses to accept liability or they are disputing the amount of compensation you are claiming, then the length of time to resolve the claim will be longer. Courts rarely act quickly and the case may have to appear before the court several times. However, a court will normally issue a timetable of events and your solicitor will keep you informed of the dates of the proceedings and the progress of the case.
