If you take a look at statistics about personal injury cases, it is clear to notice that timeframes vary a lot from one case to the next. Some are solved in just a couple of months while others can last for years. While many decide to settle fast, this is not always a good idea.
Let’s say you had a slip and fall at Baskin Robbins in Boston MA. If your injuries are minor, you want the case to be settled fast. If your injuries have permanent repercussions, you want to receive the maximum possible financial compensation, which will take time.
It is possible that the timeline of the injury case drags out because of one or more of these reasons:
Some problems appeared in relation to facts or laws.
There is a lot of money that might be offered.
The maximum medical improvement was not yet reached.
Whenever you are faced with one of these situations, there is a pretty good possibility the case will end up taking some time. The only situation when this is not the case is when you just agree to receive a much lower compensation than what you could.
Problematic Issues
Personal injury case settlement value is all about 2 factors:
The party at fault – liability
The injuries of the plaintiff – damages
When it is difficult to prove liability, insurance adjusters do not want to make reasonable offers. They wait for the lawyer of the plaintiff to prove facts or a willingness to keep the fight going. Insurers basically try to do all they can to pay less than they should and if liability is being questioned, it is a great opportunity for them to take advantage of.
It is also possible some problems appear when looking at the damages. For instance, the physician might not be able to declare that it was the negligence of the defendant that led to the injury. An insurer might not want to make reasonable settlement offers without lawyers bringing forth doctors who could testify to the connection between the two.
Settlements can also be delayed when the damages are significant. Insurers basically want to do all they can to avoid paying the big money.
Basically, this means that every single case aspect is going to be investigated. The goal is to become convinced of the following:
There is no defense for the claim
Credibility cannot be attacked
Injuries really are severe
There are even insurers that will delay the settlement to see if a victim is willing to accept getting paid less. There are many claimants that cannot wait for a long time because they need money to get treated. Unfortunately, insurance companies might take advantage of this as they make the case longer to force the victims to receive less.
At the end of the day, the duration of the personal injury case might not be something you can control. But, if you can afford to wait as these unwanted situations appear, it is a good idea to do so since there is a much higher possibility you will receive a higher compensation.
