Why do personal injury settlements get delayed? People who sustain injuries in an accident that wasn’t their fault typically use this type of settlement. The personal injury settlement process can take months to complete. This phase includes gathering evidence, arranging medical appointments, and handling other aspects of this complex legal procedure. Beyond this, other factors can also slow down the process, delaying your compensation.
Continue reading to discover typical causes of delays in personal injury settlements.
Complexity of the Case
Even the simplest cases can take weeks or months to resolve, so if yours is more complicated, it can significantly extend the timeline of legal resolution. The process involves locating and disclosing documentation, preparing witness statements, and sometimes getting opinions from various experts, making the process more time-consuming in complex cases. The other party will also need to undertake similar steps, which can further extend your settlement timeline.
Disputes Over Liability
In some cases, the other party accepts liability early on, leaving the rest of the case to determine the specifics of compensation. However, if the other party disputes that they’re liable, it can greatly delay the outcome. In these cases, we must gather evidence and assemble a compelling case to show that the other party was liable, which can add weeks or months to the process.
Medical Treatment and Recovery
To receive compensation for an injury, you need to know the full extent of those injuries. This means you must go through most of your medical treatment, physical rehabilitation, and other forms of recovery before pursuing a personal injury settlement. This allows your lawyer to determine the full scope of your injuries, which will help them get the maximum compensation on your behalf.
Insufficient Evidence
Your case depends on ample, reliable evidence to demonstrate the other party’s liability, the severity of your injuries, and the financial losses you will endure. If you don’t have enough evidence, it will slow down the personal injury settlement process. Delays with evidence often lead to further delays in these cases — witnesses may be hard to find, or your expert witness might be unavailable when you need them, leading to delays with your hearings and other parts of the process.
Insurance Company Delays
It’s sadly very common for insurance companies to take their time when processing personal injury claims. Many insurers will delay, hoping you become impatient and accept a lower settlement, particularly if your claim is very high-value or complex. While your lawyer can help urge your insurance company along, it’s still not unusual for it to add significant time to proceedings.
Legal Proceedings and Court Backlogs
The United States legal system is overworked and understaffed, leading to countless, frustrating delays for people looking to resolve their personal injury settlements. While not all personal injury settlements must be handled in court, backlogs and the slow pace of proceedings can slow things down for those who need litigation.
Communication and Negotiation Challenges
Depending on the other party in your personal injury case, the pace of communications and negotiations can significantly slow down the proceedings. Even if the other party accepts liability, they are not obligated to facilitate communication and negotiation, necessitating the involvement of a trusted lawyer to advocate on your behalf. It’s common for the communication and negotiation phase to be a significant part of the personal injury settlement process.
Multiple Parties and Cross-Claims
If your case involves multiple people, it will naturally make resolving the situation more difficult and time-consuming. This is especially true in the case of cross-claims, when a person brings a claim within the same case against an additional party who is ‘on the same side’ as the plaintiff or defendant. Involving multiple parties can slow down virtually every part of the process, but it also offers the chance for much higher compensation if the case is successful.
Contact The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani Today
Injuries can often cause serious emotional distress, long-lasting trauma, physical complications, medical bill burdens, lost wages, and countless other complications. If another person or entity’s negligent actions have led to you sustaining a serious injury, you don’t have to accept this as your new life and try to do it alone.
Pursuing a personal injury settlement means you’re not just trying to cover your expenses. It’s also about holding others accountable, ensuring they understand how their negligence impacted your life, and making them far less likely to hurt others in the same way. Of course, these settlements also allow you to pay for the medical care you need, cover lost wages, and take the time to recover.If you’re looking for expert personal injury legal support in Southern California, the law offices of Jacob Emrani can help. Our team will work tirelessly to support you in getting justice, closure, and compensation for the injuries you’ve suffered. With more than 25 years of experience, we know the ins and outs of California’s personal injury law system, and we’ll work to make the entire process as quick and straightforward for you as possible. For more information, contact us online or call (888) 912-7115 to set up your no-cost case evaluation!