After being injured as a result of the negligence of another person, you may be contemplating filing a personal injury cases. With your medical bills piling up and being unable to work for either the short or long term, you are likely concerned about when you will receive compensation.
However, there is no one-size-fits-all answer set for the length of time a personal injury case takes to settle in Atlanta, Georgia.
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It can range from three months to two years, which all depends on the unique factors of your case.
Since Georgia has a statute of limitations of two years from the date of your injury to file your lawsuit, you should not wait to get the ball rolling.
You may be able to settle more quickly, or you may need to take your case to trial.
Working with an experienced personal injury attorney can help you get fair compensation for your claims.
What to Know About Out-of-Court Settlements?
Generally speaking, the shortest path to receiving damages for your personal injury case is by settling out of court. While settlements do tend to go more quickly, these timelines can also vary significantly.
If your case is very basic and both sides agree on the terms, you may only have to wait a couple of weeks to a month to receive your damages.
The insurance company and the attorneys on both sides must complete mounds of paperwork and come to an agreement about all the particulars surrounding your settlement. However, it’s fairly common for contentious settlements to take months.
What to Know About Going to Court for Your Personal Injury Case?
Indeed, the majority of personal injury lawsuits in Atlanta, Georgia do settle out of court. This saves both sides time, money, and stress.
But if no one can agree on a settlement, the case must go to trial. This may mean that your personal injury case could take months to years.
If the need to go to court arises, your attorney will file a complaint with the court. This complaint is then served by the court to the defendant. Following that is the discovery process.
In this part of the case, your lawyer will speak with witnesses, bring forth relevant experts, and gather necessary documents such as your medical records. The other side will also gather evidence on their end.
The discovery process itself is a lengthy one that may take up to a year to complete.
During this time, your lawyer and representatives of the defendant will likely still try to reach a settlement. If both sides still continue to disagree on the terms, then motions and arguments will proceed.
From there, it will depend on the court’s schedule which is likely to lengthen your case timeline by several more months.
A ruling may not be issued for years following the filing of your suit. Additionally, after the verdict is handed down, the defendant may appeal and continue to drag out this process.
Factors That Can Impact the Time it Takes to Settle a Personal Injury Case
Since each case has different factors, these all can affect the amount of time involved to settle your case. For example, some car accident cases can settle very quickly while others may take years to resolve.
To give you an idea of the kind of time you may be looking at in settling your personal injury case, it will depend on the type and severity of the injury you have sustained.
If you or a loved one suffered catastrophic injuries, you will not want to settle for an insufficient amount.
Injuries like these can be life-altering and will require ample compensation to handle your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other economic and noneconomic damages.
On top of that, it will also depend on the settlement amount that you are asking for and the court’s own schedule and caseload. Most likely though, your case will be settled before it ever goes to court.
If it does get to court, you as the plaintiff will most likely win the case. While there is no guarantee, it is important that you speak with a lawyer first to find out what factors may pertain to your particular case.
How Long Will You Wait for Your Settlement?
You may be waiting only a short duration such as a couple weeks or a month, or you could wind up waiting for years. A longer wait when you have severe injuries is better than settling for less than you need to cover your losses.
Visit atlantapiattorney.com to find out more about personal injury cases and discuss yours with an experienced personal injury lawyer.
FAQs:
How long does a personal injury case take in Georgia?
4-9 months
How long does it take to get a settlement check in Georgia?
Most personal injury settlements are paid within two to four weeks after agreement.
