How Long Does a Lawsuit Take to Settle?

In some cases, you may be able to settle a claim in as little as a few weeks, while the average claim may take months.

In the wake of a car accident, it can feel like your case may last a lifetime. It may have been days, weeks, or even months after the accident, and you may not see an end in sight. Worse, your options for settling or winning a lawsuit quickly may leave you sacrificing part of your compensation’s value.

The length of a lawsuit can vary depending on many details, and often, it can take time before your case settles. However, no matter how long your case takes, our Orange County car accident lawyers at Text Kevin Accident Attorneys have the tools to make this process as easy as possible. If you are unsure or concerned about pushing through your lawsuit, contact our experienced team for help.

The Severity of Your Injuries Can Impact Your Case

When you have been injured in an accident, the injuries you suffer can vary extensively. You may have injuries that are costly to recover from, cause severe pain, or may leave you with lifelong scars and changes in your ability level. Because of this, you may have difficulties navigating how much your case is worth and what steps you must take to get compensated fairly.

For example, accidents with severe injuries may be more costly, and the insurance company or at-fault party may be unwilling to pay. Your injuries may also be complex, leading to more difficult calculations to ensure you are getting the full compensation you are due. If you are unsure what your claim is worth, do not hesitate to contact us to learn more about injuries like the following and get help from a car accident lawyer.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can range widely in severity. These injuries cause damage to the brain, from a minor bruise to lifelong disability. Even minor brain trauma can have wide-ranging, long-term results.

For example, if you have suffered a mild TBI, you may have cognitive issues such as brain fog, irritability, and more. However, if you have suffered a severe TBI, you may lose major cognitive functions, including motor control and sensory issues. Memory loss, inability to walk or speak, or loss of eyesight or other senses can occur in severe brain trauma.

Worse, brain injuries can be difficult to recover from. Even after rehabilitation helps you relearn certain skills, you may face ongoing difficulties that impact your daily life. These types of injuries can be difficult to calculate, and because the damage may be so severe, it can lead to a multi-million dollar lawsuit that the at-fault party will not want to pay.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can be just as devastating, and their impact on the body’s motor control functions cannot be overstated. Your spine is the information highway of the brain, passing signals for sensation and movement across the entire body. Because of that, if you are injured at any point in your spine, the connection between your brain and that part of your body may be severed for a lifetime.

Unfortunately, while an incomplete spinal injury can be treated in some ways, a complete spinal cord injury severs the spinal cord, leaving few opportunities to recover from the injury fully. That means you may have a lifetime of damages ahead of you, which can become extremely costly for the at-fault party, who may be liable for all these damages.

Other Catastrophic Injuries

Injuries to the brain and spine are not the only severe injuries you may be currently facing, though they can have the longest-reaching impacts of your injuries. However, other injuries can have devastating impacts, and those injuries may be complex to calculate. Consider talking to us about your case if you are facing any of the following catastrophic injuries:

• Broken bones
• Internal bleeding
• Traumatic amputation or limb loss
• Burn injuries
• Internal organ damage

Many of these injuries may have lifelong impacts on your health, especially a traumatic amputation, which can lead to permanent limb loss. Others may even be deadly, leaving you seeking help from our wrongful death attorneys to get fairly compensated for these injuries. Talk to your attorney if you have suffered any type of catastrophic injury that has led to complex, ongoing impacts on your life.

The Insurance Company May Try to Settle Too Soon

Following a car accident, your auto or health insurance policy may be one of your options to pursue the help you need following an accident. These insurance policies are meant to compensate you when something goes wrong and you are injured or your vehicle is damaged as a result. However, your insurance policy does not always work as advertised.

Remember, insurance companies are for-profit businesses. That means it benefits their business more to make a profit than to compensate you for your injuries. Because of this, many car accident victims in Orange County face a lowball settlement offer, a delay in coverage, or a complete denial of liability for their injuries.

Unfortunately, many California car accident victims accept a quick, low settlement offer that leaves them paying out of pocket for many of their devastating experiences. In fact, while car accidents cost the country $340 billion in 2019 alone in a recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), many insurance policyholders accept less than what they are due for their claims. Fortunately, you may have grounds to pursue compensation through the help of our team.

Determining the Value of Your Lawsuit

When you are seriously injured in an Orange County car accident, one of the most important ways to settle your case quickly and fairly is to know its value. When you have been severely injured and are unsure what your compensation is worth, we are here to help you navigate this value. Reach out for help gathering compensation for the following compensatory and punitive damage options.

Economic Damages

When you are seriously injured in a car accident, one of the most urgent damages you may be worried about is your economic losses. The financial impact of a lawsuit can be costly, and you may have difficulties recovering from the many expenses that have accrued because of your accident. Fortunately, however, you have an opportunity to pursue payment for any of the following damages you have suffered:

• Hospital bills
• Lost income
• Household accommodations
• Property damage
• Transportation cost for medical care

Unfortunately, recovery from an injury can be expensive. According to the National Library of Medicine, for example, spinal cord injury victims will spend, on average, $32,240 to $1,156,400 per year on the many expenses that help them survive and thrive in the first year alone. When you have suffered an injury like this, we are focused on helping you get financial coverage for this suffering.

Non-Economic Damages

However, as you pursue your economic damages, you should not forget the value of your non-economic damages. Also known as pain and suffering, your non-economic damages cover any intangible suffering you have experienced. These damages can leave an intangible but still important mark on your life and well-being.

When you have suffered non-economic damages such as pain and suffering or emotional trauma, you can calculate these damages using special calculators based on the severity of your suffering and the impact that suffering has had on your life. Identifying these elements can help us provide your claim with a specific value.

For example, if you cannot return to a career or hobby you once loved, the impact of your accident may be greater than if you are not as affected by those injuries. You may also receive more compensation for more severe injuries, such as a bone fracture that permanently impacts your ability to walk or run. We can discuss the specifics of your injuries and how those injuries impact your well-being.

Punitive Damages

You may have been injured in some cases because someone else was beyond negligent. They may have engaged in gross negligence or intentionally harmed you. When someone engages in one of these types of extreme negligence, you may have grounds for punitive damages rather than strictly compensatory damages.

Unlike compensatory damages, punitive damages do not compensate you for a specific loss. These damages instead award you compensation as punishment to the at-fault party. In situations like these, you may receive funds from the judge in an attempt to deter that type of behavior.

However, these damages are also frequently difficult to pursue. They are not generally offered for every case, so you may only be eligible for them in certain situations. Fortunately, we can determine whether you qualify for these damages and pursue them for your recovery.

Our Team Can Help Your Lawsuit Settle Within a Reasonable Time

When you are struggling to settle your claim within a reasonable time period, you may be worried about filing a claim correctly and ensuring you get the funds you are due following your car accident. Doing this alone can feel nearly impossible, which is where we can step in and help. When you are ready to take action and pursue getting your case settled as soon as you can, we offer the following tools, which have helped many past clients get the compensation they are due, too.

Tools to Accurately Calculate Your Damages

When pursuing compensation for your accident, you may not have the tools to accurately identify your claim’s worth. Claims like yours may be complicated, and you may settle for far less than your claim is worth if you do not accurately identify these damages. Fortunately, we have the many tools and resources to identify, calculate, and prove that you are due these damages.

Experience in the Courtroom

Following a car accident, you may be intimidated by the idea of going to Orange County Small Claims Court to navigate your case, as you may have never gone to court before this experience. Fortunately, we are well-versed in California courtrooms, making it easy for us to help you navigate these processes. If you have any doubts or concerns about missteps during your case, do not hesitate to contact us for help navigating these complex areas.

Compassion and Focus to Help Our Clients Win

When pursuing a car accident lawsuit with a big firm, it is easy to feel like you are just another number to them. You may even struggle to get regular updates about your lawsuit and your timeline for settlement. We always keep you up to date about every step of your case, from the initial timeline to the closing remarks.

What Can I Do to Maintain My Health and Recovery During My Lawsuit?

While we work as fast as possible without sacrificing our client’s needs, it can still be difficult to juggle the minor expenses and losses you may have suffered because of your accident. While your claim will settle at some point, you may need help now. In these cases, many people choose to settle for less out of desperation, so we focus on helping our clients maintain their quality of life without sacrificing their lawsuits.

For example, you may be eligible for certain financial aid. This aide may be paid back after your compensation is delivered, or you may be able to receive aid from non-profit organizations meant to help victims get help. The options depend on the details of your case and what we can help you pursue.

No matter which option is best for you, we are here to make your recovery possible. That means guiding you through the process of ensuring you are able to maintain your personal injury lawsuit rather than settling for less than your claim is due. We are prepared to use any tools and resources available to help you navigate your claim.

Our Team of Personal Injury Lawyers Is Here to Help You Settle Your Claim for Its Full Value

When you have a long-term lawsuit ahead of you, it can feel exhausting and difficult to move forward. You may have delays because of the at-fault party’s actions, but any lawsuit can be extensive and lengthy. Fortunately, we are here to make this process as easy as possible.

At Text Kevin Accident Attorneys, we are here to help you fully understand the timeline of your case. Our team, including attorney Kevin Crockett, knows how difficult it can be to recover from an Orange County car accident, and we are prepared to help you pursue compensation that meets your needs. To learn more about our services, reach out for free consultation by calling or completing our online contact form.