You are the victim of an injury-causing incident or accident. What time frame can you expect for your case to settle?
A very good question and we hear it all the time, but there is simply no easy way to answer this question because everybody is different. Everybody has different injuries. Everybody needs different medical care. Everybody heals differently and at different rates.
You should not even consider trying to settle your case until you have received all of the medical care you need, and you are as well-healed as you are going to get. If a permanent injury, we want to know what the permanent injury is, what if any future medical care will be needed and what if any costs are likely to be associated with that medical care before we even think about presenting your case for settlement to the insurance company.
So, depending upon the nature and extent of your injuries, it could be a month, it could be six months, it could be a year or even more. At Zachar Law Firm, it is our responsibility to make sure that you are getting the right medical care for your injuries, and it is your responsibility to follow up to make sure that you make those medical appointments and get the necessary medical care.
Get the care, get healed, and then we will be in the best position to present your case for settlement.
Once your care has concluded, Zachar Law Firm will complete the gathering of all of your medical records and bills, to present to the insurance company for the at-fault party, to then settle your case.
What would cause my personal injury case to go to litigation?
You are the victim of a personal injury incident or accident. Your attorney has presented your case for settlement to the insurance company for the at-fault party, and they have either denied the claim or are lowballing the claim.
What can you do?
The main thing which would cause a lawsuit to have to be filed in your personal injury case is that the insurance company for the at-fault party is simply not offering enough money to settle the case. There are a lot of reasons why they do this, with a few listed here:
- They do not agree that you needed the amount of medical care you received, and do not agree with the amount of medical expenses you present;
- There is some dispute in the manner in which the incident or accident occurred, and they are refusing to accept fault for the claim; or
- You are represented by an attorney or law firm that simply has not developed a reputation in Phoenix for filing lawsuits for its clients. Insurance companies keep statistics. They know which Phoenix lawyers and law firms file lawsuits and which don’t. If you are represented by a lawyer or a law firm that does not file lawsuits, then you are no threat to the insurance company, and they very often will lowball the claim.
So, what can you do?
In truth, the best thing you can do is to find the right lawyer and law firm to represent you in your personal injury case. You need to have a lawyer and law firm that actually files lawsuits for its clients and has a proven track record of success.
Ask your lawyer if they file lawsuits. Ask if they are a “Certified Specialist in Personal Injury Law” in Arizona. If you get an answer like “no, all of our cases settle because we are that good“, or something like that, don’t walk. Run.
Find a Certified Specialist in Personal Injury Law. At Zachar Law Firm, we have two Certified Specialists (Note: Less than 1% of Arizona attorneys are Personal Injury Specialists).
Find a lawyer that is willing to do the work that is necessary to get you the best result. Often that requires filing lawsuits, no matter what your attorney or law firm or telling you.
Insurance companies don’t like lawsuits, and insurance companies are far more afraid of challenging the lawyers and the law firms who have reputations for filing lawsuits.
Questions regarding your personal injury case? Call Zachar Law Firm today for a free consult regarding your personal injury case.