If you or someone you know has been injured due to the negligence or recklessness of someone else, getting your case resolved is probably the top priority. The sooner everything can get back to normal, the sooner you can move on. But, how long will that take? While your personal injury attorney cannot make any promises, there are some common factors that can help you predict how long it might take. Ultimately, it depends on the nature of your injuries and the complexity of your legal claims.
What is the nature of your injuries?
A typical personal injury case follows the same basic steps, but the amount of time it takes to go through these steps depends on your particular situation. One of the most important components of your case is your damages which are based on your injuries. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may need more prolonged medical treatment, which also means additional time for your injuries to fully manifest themselves.
Proving liability and causation
The two other crucial factors in your personal injury case, which may affect how long it takes to resolve it, are proving the legal elements of liability and causation. Regardless of the fact that you were injured, you must still be able to prove that the person you have sued is legally liable for those injuries. That requires specific types of evidence, depending on the type of injury claim. Liability is not always clear cut. Also, depending on the nature of your injuries, you may need to obtain evidence from special health care providers in order to prove that the injuries were caused by the accident. This is known as “causation.
In more simple cases, resolving a personal injury claim will take at least several months, more likely a year. Your personal injury attorney will guide you through the entire process and explain everything along the way.
If you have questions regarding a personal injury matter, please contact the experienced attorneys at The Means Firm, either online or by calling toll free at Montgomery (334) 895-7011 and at Birmingham (205) 586-7023.
