Most personal injury claims end in a settlement that is reached between the injured party or the attorney for the injured party and the insurance company providing coverage to the at-fault party. Following an accident, your life may have changed significantly. Doctor’s appointments may have flooded your schedule, you may have missed work, and you likely will need to make some adjustments based on how your injuries limit your ability to engage in activities you may have previously enjoyed. After so much change and experiencing the emotional rollercoaster an accident can send you on, you are likely anxious to have your claim settled and done with.
How Long Will My Personal Injury Claim Take to Settle?
How long it takes for a personal injury claim depends on a lot of different factors. We know. This is not the answer most people want to hear, but it is true. One of the biggest factors that will contribute to how quickly your personal injury claim takes to settle is how long it takes for you to reach maximum medical improvement (MMI). MMI is the point during your treatment where a doctor deems that you have reached the point where further medical intervention is not likely to improve your injuries, but it could still help you manage your injuries. Once your injuries have healed as much as they possibly can, then you are deemed to have reached MMI.
Why wait until you reach MMI before you settle your personal injury claim? Settling prior to MMI can be dangerous as you will not know the full extent of your injuries and the necessary treatment. Once you settle your claim, you cannot go back asking for more money because your doctor found that your injuries were more widespread or would require more intensive medical treatment than was thought prior to settlement. Because it is often best to wait until a personal injury claimant has reached MMI before settling, the nature and extent of a person’s injuries will big a huge determining factor in how long it takes for a claim to settle.
Liability issues can also have a big impact on the amount of time it takes to settle and even on the likelihood of a claim to settle at all. You see, if there is any suggestion that there may be someone else at fault for causing an accident, an insurance company is likely to use this as a basis to deny a claim or significantly reduce a settlement offer. In fact, liability issues can often cause a personal injury claim to end up in litigation. Questions of fault can be a common cause for a personal injury claim to take much longer to settle (if it settles at all).
Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorneys
The dedicated personal injury team at Compass Law Group knows how ready an accident victim can be to settle an injury claim. We also know that you get one shot at getting the compensation you deserve for harm suffered in an accident and we want to make it count. Contact us today.
