A personal injury is quite common and can take years to resolve (unfortunately). In most cases, you are looking at a period from 1-5 years for it to conclude. However, many factors will come to play, such as the extent of your injuries, the complexity of the case, and the evidence provided. For instance, a case takes longer when there is a dispute about the facts, as well as more evidence. If you want to know more and get informed about the process itself keep on reading and find everything down below.
Why do these cases take so much time to conclude?
Well, on average, tort trials reached a verdict 25.6 months from the date the lawsuit was filed. In most cases, the toughest ones to conclude and on the court were liability cases, with a processing time of 35 months. Luckily, everything is often resolved among lawyers, without the need to go to trial. Only about 3% are actually disposed of by jury or bench trial verdicts). If you are lucky enough you can have everything sorted out in 1-2 years.
What are the steps in a personal injury claim or in a lawsuit?
This often depends and varies from one country to the other, as well as your law system. Not every country regulates these cases the same. For most of them, you are looking at the following process:
- Filing pleadings
- Providing document disclosure
- Having discovery hearings
- Filing reports from expert witnesses
- Requesting trial dates
- The final step is the trial
What are some common types of personal injuries?
Before contacting your lawyer you should understand what falls under a personal injury. Once you understand your category and where you fall into place, you can start collecting evidence. The most common causes of personal injuries are:
- A) Broken bones – these can be damaging and scary to your long-term health, recovery, and healing process. You could also have a hard time getting back to work due to these injuries, which is why compensation is often big and impressive.
- B) Burnt skin – have you experienced a chemical, cold, radiation, or thermal burning sensation? These can require special medical care, sometimes even surgery.
- C) Brain injury – these are often linked to car crashes. You could end up suffering from a headache, loss of speech, memory, or motor skills. Brain injuries could also lead to some trauma down the road, often having to be treated with meds and a therapist.
- D) Neck or back injuries – these can be even worse after the swelling goes away. It is important to have your scans with you for this injury.
Other injuries that one might also experience and file under the personal injury claim are soft-tissue damages, dog bites, or lacerations. All of these have a good (high) chance of being presented in the court of law.
What do you have to provide in court?
A victim needs to provide solid evidence when it comes to the injury that they’ve experienced. It is up to them to prove that nothing was of their fault and the third party caused these injuries. File a complaint with the proper court and pay the associated filing fee while also serving the other party with the documents needed. Your lawyer and the defendant’s lawyer will typically file a number of pre-trial motions. You will be guided with all the needed documents from the get-go.
What to know about damages that are considered as a personal injury
The process always begins with a person filing a complaint and expressing their pain due to the other’s party’s negligence level. More often than not this happens in the office and in a dangerous work environment or when in a car. Either way it may be, if you have physical evidence, you get money for your state of injuries. The bigger the damage the higher the compensation. General damages can include physical pain, emotional pain, physical impairment, as you get monetary compensation for previously mentioned kinds.
What your lawyer will ask of you
Once you book an amazing attorney it is up to you to provide all the needed evidence and for them to come up with a good tactic or a story for your case. In most cases, you will be asked to gather the following:
- Any contact details of potential witnesses that were around
- Exact date and time of the even
- All relevant information such as medical bills or treatments that you had to have after the accident
- Possible insurance policies
- Documents having to do with any past legal claim cases.
The case could go to trial
If your case doesn’t settle, it will go to trial. During the trial, you will have to wait for the jury, listen to opening statements, as well as witnesses. The process can be time-consuming as it can lead to cross-examination from both parties and their lawyers. After that comes the jury verdict, which can take anywhere from 1-10 days to happen. If either party disagrees with the verdict, they typically have the right to appeal. In most cases, this will not happen. With the right lawyer and a trustworthy team, your case will not even go to trial.
Where to find a great lawyer and get proper help?
The best personal injury lawyer for your needs is the one who prioritizes you as a person and not just a case number. Looking for that type of lawyer? Make sure to check out foryourrights.com since they will always consider your needs and listen to your story! Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to find out your best path forward today! They are highly skilled and trustworthy lawyers who have been in the business for years, with a ton of cases won and a ton of experience. If you have been in a car accident, have experienced malpractice, product, or premises liability, they are your go-to team. Give them a call and see for yourself.
