As with the amount of damages, the time it takes to resolve a personal injury case, either through settlement or in a trial, varies depending upon a wide variety of factors. While some cases may conclude in a couple of months, others may require longer. Usually, the more complex a case is and the more parties it involves, the longer it takes.
Other variables that may also affect a case’s timeline include:
- Your injuries: More-serious injuries usually result in higher damages, but also frequently involve more-complex facts and more-detailed negotiations between your lawyer and the other side. In other words, serious injuries can stretch the timeline of a case.
- The number of parties involved: Cases between just two parties are usually easier to resolve than those involving multiple parties. This is because there are multiple schedules to coordinate, multiple insurance policies to evaluate, and sometimes, multiple sides to the story.
- How willing each party is to try and reach a deal: Sometimes, the timeline of a case comes down to how willing each party is to engage in discussions to settle a case. Parties who are focused on dealmaking may tend to resolve a personal injury dispute faster than parties who prefer to fight it out before a case concludes.