When you have been involved in an accident and find yourself filing a personal injury claim, you may assume the process will be over and done with very quickly. However, you should not count on this always being the case. Depending on the type of accident in which you were involved, the injuries you suffered, and how much of a fight the party responsible for your accident and their insurance company are mounting against your claim, the process can at times be arduous and time-consuming.
Prompt Medical Treatment
If you make sure you receive prompt medical treatment following your accident, have your injuries documented in your medical records, and follow through with various appointments and therapy when needed, this can reduce the time it may take to process your claim. Should you delay medical treatment, this gives the other party and their insurer reason to doubt the seriousness or even existence of your injuries, delaying the claims process.
The Amount of Money
Generally, the larger the amount of money being sought by a victim for damages, the longer it can take for a personal injury claim to be processed. For example, if your case is very straightforward and you immediately hire a personal injury attorney to represent you, your case may be settled in as little as one month. However, if you delay seeking legal representation and have a complex case, it may take a year or more to have everything resolved.
The Type of Accident
If you slipped and fell inside a store, chances are the store will want to compensate you as fast as possible to avoid negative publicity. However, if you were in a multi-vehicle crash, expect the other drivers and their insurance companies to stall as long as possible before giving you any financial compensation. While there may be no question as to what happened if you slipped and fell, numerous questions will need to be answered and large amounts of evidence examined before your injury claim is finished.
Conflicting Information
Finally, conflicting information will always slow down a personal injury claim. This often occurs regarding eyewitness accounts of what happened, since it is not uncommon for people to witness the same event, yet have strikingly different accounts of what they saw. Unfortunately, until the legal and factual details are answered to everyone’s satisfaction, your personal injury claim will proceed slowly.
By hiring a personal injury lawyer immediately after your accident, collecting evidence, and getting prompt medical treatment, you may find yourself with the financial compensation you need far quicker than you anticipated.
Author information: Anica Oaks is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty.
