How long does it take to settle a personal injury case in California?
If you got heavily injured in an accident in California which was the result of the wrongful act of other parties, you, in your turn, could think about filing a personal injury lawsuit against them. Nevertheless, it may require an amount of time for court cases to be conducted. One of the main concerns of the plaintiffs is - how long will it take to pay a compensation? Here's what you need to know:
- Engaging a San Diego, California personal injury lawyer can provide crucial guidance and representation in navigating these complex procedures.
- The timeline varies widely: There is no universally accepted period of time, which is rather influenced by different factors, and there are no objective grounds to state the exact time. A clear-cut responsibility together with a simple case may be repaired within a few months, though other complex cases may require more than a year.
- Pre-litigation negotiation is fastest: There are a lot of cases that settle and the lawsuit has not been filed yet. During the time frame of 3-6 months from the date of the accident these cases tends to settle down. In situations when informal talks between opposing parties come into play, the process is usually faster.
- Once a lawsuit is filed, add time: In case settlement through talks becomes unattainable and the claim has to be filed in civil court, you will have to wait for a couple of months or even more for the civil trial. Procedures of the court system include a time-frame to be followed and deadlines to be observed.
- Discovery stage is lengthy: Degree of investigation associated with litigation is called "discovery" or "pre-trial phase" and traditionally takes 6-18 months to complete. This is the process where documents are exchanged orally questions and answers. Also, it includes deposition and expert witnesses’ access to the litigation evidence.
- Simple injury cases: Multiple small scale's soft tissue injuries from a car accident severely settles in a period of 6-18 months. However, issues as severe as surgery, impairment with no possibility of recovery, or disagreements about who is guilty and who is not may take even longer than a year-and-a-half.
- Going to trial adds more time: If the complaint is not settled by the due date, the court sets up a date for a trial session according to its available dates. In the same respect, some surplus inventories at the county level are declared unsalvageable two years after an accident. The trials themselves may last minutes or even months.
The takeaway? However, each personal injury lawsuit has its peculiarities, and most of the cases are resolved in 1-2 years either with an out-of-court settlement, which entails accepting the offered sum as compensation, or jury verdict at trial. I can understand that patience is needed in a legal process, but an experienced lawyer can definitely help you to learn your way through it.
