What Are the Stages of a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Often, clients will ask why it takes so long to file a demand with the insurance company to settle their case. The truth is that it doesn’t need to take long. Many things affect the timeframe necessary to properly settle a personal injury case. It is important to pay attention to a lot of different aspects of the case and make strategic decisions on how to maximize the value of the claim. It’s like playing chess. If you move a certain chess piece, it will affect your strategy going forward. But if you attack with another chess piece, it will create an entirely different strategy for the game. Some of the factors include the insurance companies involved in your case, the amount of insurance on each policy, past and future medical treatment and expenses, lost wages, and total economic damages, etc. In this blog post, we will take you through some of the steps involved in a personal injury claim.
Initial Client Interview
After we sign a contract with a client, we will meet with them to discuss their accident. Most clients will come into one of our offices and meet our legal team. We will discuss their case, formulate a game plan, and set reasonable expectations on the case. we want our clients to know what is expected of them and what they can expect from us.
Getting Medical Treatment
over the next few months, we will check in regularly with our clients. we ask about their medical condition and make sure that they are seeing the right doctors. we collect the documentation needed to follow through with their case. we will also recommend doctors or specialist for treating their conditions if necessary.
Preparing Demand Package
Once you are finished getting treatment, we will review your claim to understand the value of your case. The value may include past and future medical costs, past and future economic loss wage damages, and past and future noneconomic damages including pain and suffering disfigurement and mental anguish, etc. Once we do that, we will put together a demand package and send it over to the defendant. That way they will have an idea of how much we want to settle your case for. From this point on, settlement negotiations begin.
Going to Trial & Mediation
You should expect to know within a year whether you will have to go to trial or not. In an average case that doesn’t go to trial, a settlement can take anywhere between a few months to more than 6 months. Again, the time frame will vary depending on the circumstances and the factors that are relevant to your case. If your case goes to court, then the timeframe will depend on which court you are filing in.
Contact Our Miami Accident Attorneys Today
Did you recently let another person borrow your vehicle only to find out that they got into an accident? If you happen to find yourself in this situation, you probably have a lot of questions regarding insurance coverage, the insurance claims process, and what you should be doing in the days, weeks, and months after an accident. At Suarez & Montero, we have all the answers to your legal questions. We can also assist you in obtaining compensation for your injuries after a car accident if you were a passenger in the accident. Our attorneys are ready to provide proven legal representation and stand ready to protect your rights. We are available 24/7 to give you a free, no risk case consultation! At our firm, our policy is that if you don’t recover compensation, you won’t pay any fees for our services. Not to mention, we also provide free case consultations where we assess the circumstances surrounding your case and give you an objective overview of what steps you can take going forward if you decide to act against the party responsible for your injuries. For over 20 years, we have delivered quality legal representation for people who, through no fault of their own, have been injured in all types of accidents and incidents. We are available 24/7 to give you a free, no risk case consultation.
We serve clients throughout Florida including those in the following areas:
Miami-Dade: Aventura, Coral Gables, Doral, Fontainebleau, Hialeah, Homestead, Kendall, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, North Miami, Tamiami, and Westchester.
Broward: Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Weston; and Palm Beach County including Boca Raton, Lake Worth, and West Palm Beach.
