A personal injury claim is a legal action taken to seek monetary compensation after suffering an injury due to the negligence of another party. A personal injury settlement can help pay for medical bills and other costs caused by negligence.
Generally, resolving a personal injury case can be done by seeking a settlement or going to court if you can’t reach one through an agreement. However, dealing with personal injury settlements is never easy. It would help to know what to expect from your case and the settlement processes involved.
If you’re unfamiliar with the process, below are the five things to know about personal injury settlements:
- Seek Legal Assistance To Get A Settlement
Personal injury settlements can be considered a serious matter that requires the attention of a legal professional. Given their experience and expertise in handling injury cases, they can help negotiate for a fair settlement from the insurance company and the alleged at-fault party in a legal way.
For example, they can help ensure the insurance providers won’t use unlawful tactics to diminish or deny your settlement to protect their financial interests. Your personal injury lawyer can also help prepare all the necessary paperwork and ensure no missed deadlines. Not having them by your side may affect your chances of obtaining a reasonable settlement.
- The Settlement Check Process Takes Time
When the other party’s insurance company has agreed to a settlement, they usually have approximately three weeks to issue your check. Hence, it’s wise to consult a reliable personal injury lawyer to know what to expect from a settlement check process. They can tell you which liens can delay your settlement money and other essential matters associated with the process.
However, there are some instances wherein you can’t get the settlement money within the said duration. For example, if a lien is filed against you, your lawyer must settle it before you can access your settlement fund. This makes dealing with personal injury settlements more time-consuming.
- Keep Proper Documentation Of The Evidence
It’s essential to gather evidence when entering a personal injury settlement process. This can include medical records, lost wages documents, photos of your injuries, the accident scene, and other forms of documentation.
Significantly, when you have these documents in place, you can increase your chances of receiving a fair amount of compensation for all your economic and non-economic losses, such as mental distress.
On the other hand, you can’t maximize the settlement money you can get from your injury case if you don’t have these records. So, work with your lawyer and start collecting evidence to streamline the settlement process.
- Personal Injury Settlements Have Time Limits
Even if you’re eligible to file a personal injury case, you may have a limited time to do so. This filing deadline is what you call a statute of limitations. Like other legal proceedings, you’ll only be allowed to seek a personal injury settlement within a certain period. If you wait too long to file a case, you may lose your right to receive any settlement money for your injury.
Thus, if you don’t want to gamble your chances of getting the right amount of money you deserve, you should be mindful of the statute of limitations that applies to your case. If unsure what to do, consider hiring a lawyer to guide you through the process.
- Establishing Negligence Plays A Crucial Role
If you want to file a personal injury claim, it’ll help to establish negligence on the part of the alleged at-fault party. Besides, you can’t encourage the other party to come up with a settlement offer if you can’t determine their liability.
So, to secure good personal injury settlement money, it’s essential to prove that the other party had a duty of care but failed to maintain it. In addition, the at-fault party committed some negligent acts, which resulted in injuries.
Once you establish these elements, you can start the negotiation process by seeking a fair settlement offer instead of a lengthy and time-consuming court trial. Given the complexities involved with a personal injury lawsuit, most parties usually agree to settle to avoid any hassle and make the process faster.
Conclusion
Going through a personal injury settlement process can be complicated if you don’t know what to do. Thankfully, by keeping the information mentioned above in mind, you’ll have realistic expectations about your case. Remember, the more you know how personal injury settlements works, the more you can obtain a desirable outcome.
