With bills piling up after a personal injury, a common question we get from our clients is how long it takes to get a personal injury settlement check. Sadly, the answer is that it really depends because of the way Florida personal injury law works.
It can take anywhere from several months to many years to resolve a personal injury case and get your settlement check.
The best way to get a better idea of how long a settlement might take in your case is to discuss the matter with an attorney. Your attorney will review your unique case details and offer insights into how complicated it is to provide a better idea of when you can expect a settlement payment.
We’ll outline several factors that could contribute to how long it takes for you to get your check to recover financially from an injury.
Seeking Pain and Suffering Compensation
To seek a pain and suffering settlement in a motor vehicle accident in Florida, you must prove one of the following:
- Permanent injury
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Death
To prove permanent injury, you’ll need to undergo thorough medical treatment. Your doctor will see you for several appointments to assess your medical condition.
The process generally takes about four to six months of medical treatment to show permanent injury. However, this is not a set timeframe. It could take longer for your doctor to treat your injuries and see how you respond to the treatment and care.
If you’re able to recover without permanent injury, you can still pursue damages for scarring, disfigurement, or death if you experienced these ailments.
Even when you don’t meet the criteria to pursue a pain and suffering settlement, you can still seek reimbursement for out-of-pocket medical expenses from the insurance company.
How Long Do Settlement Negotiations Take?
Once you’ve gotten to a point in your medical care to prove the validity of your pain and suffering claim, you can begin negotiations. This process can take one to two months depending on how motivated the insurance company is to settle the claim.
In some cases, settlement negotiations are not successful. The insurance company’s settlement offers might not meet your standards. Throughout this process, listen to your attorney carefully and take their advice. Your personal injury attorney knows what a fair settlement is and when the insurance company is simply trying to make a claim go away.
If settlement negotiations are unsuccessful, you’ll need to file a lawsuit.
How Long Do Personal Injury Lawsuits Take?
The time it takes to resolve a personal injury lawsuit varies greatly based on your unique case details. In other cases, it’s completely evident that the victim suffered injuries, who was at fault for those injuries, and that the at-fault party should compensate the victim for those injuries.
In most cases, a lawsuit can take between one and three years to reach settlement, or bring a case to a jury. Each case is unique, and timeframes can vary. Some things that could complicate your case include:
- Multiple injury victims involved
- Different attorneys representing each party with scheduling conflicts pushing back proceedings
- Complicated paperwork and many pieces of evidence
Get an Estimated Timeframe for Your Personal Injury Settlement Check
Our team at Goldman & Daszkal will be happy to review your personal injury case to help you understand what to expect from your settlement process. While we can’t guarantee a timeframe of when you’ll get a check, we can offer some helpful insights to assist you in making informed decisions about your case.
Schedule a free consultation with our office to learn more and get your case evaluated.