Settling Personal Injury Claims

If you have suffered a personal injury which was caused through the fault of someone else, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim against the party who is responsible to obtain compensation.

If you feel you will need to pursue a personal injury claim the first step is to check you basic homeowners insurance policy to establish whether you have legal expenses insurance cover which could be used to pay your legal fees.  If you do not have legal expenses insurance cover, you will need to find a personal injury lawyer to assist you.

Once you have located a suitable personal injury lawyer you will need to give them full details of what has happened.  They will need to be provided with any evidence you already have, for example, copies of witness statements, copies of photographs and so forth.

A lawyer’s main aim is settling personal injury claims before they go to court.  The lawyer will be used to settling personal injury claims and will be able to advise you about the level of compensation you are entitled to and whether to accept any offers made by the party responsible for your injuries.

You may feel uneasy about accepting an offer without the matter going to court but you will find that lawyers are used to settling personal injury claims and if the right amount of compensation is offered, it can bring an end to the matter and allow you to move on with your life.

How long does it take to settle a personal injury claim?

This varies depending on the facts of each case; you should take guidance on this issue for your lawyer.

Generally a basic personal injury claim with no issues about liability and uncomplicated injuries can take around 6 to 12 months to settle.

When considering settling personal injury claims you will need to ensure up to date medical evidence has been obtained.  This is to ensure that the injuries sustained have been diagnosed and no further complications have arisen.  With the up to date medical evidence, your lawyer will be able to assess the level of compensation that you are entitled to.

Although most personal injury lawyers will be experienced in personal injury settlements  and you may be eager to end the matter, you should never be hasty in agreeing to a settlement.  Make sure you take your lawyers advice about whether to settle your case or not.

Does every personal injury claim go to court?

It is worth bearing in mind the majority of personal injury claims will settle without going to court.  One of the reasons for this is that taking the matter to court can be very expensive for both parties involved.

Sometimes court proceedings may need to be issued but this still does not necessarily mean that your case will go to trial.  Lawyers use this as a tactic when settling personal injury claims.  Once the other side have received notification of the legal proceedings, they may be minded to offer a settlement figure to prevent any further expense.