One of the most common questions people have when they file a personal injury claim is, why is my lawyer taking so long to settle my case?
After suffering an injury and filing a claim, waiting for the claim to settle is a test of patience.
If you’re in this situation, you might have medical bills due but not yet have the financial resources to cover those bills.
If you are unable to work after your injury, the test of patience grows even more difficult.
If you are interested in learning about lawsuit loans, please contact the team at Injury Wallet today!
Is There a Set Time Frame for When I Should Receive My Settlement?
Some personal injury claims settle relatively quickly, but others do not. It’s not uncommon for a personal injury case to take over a year to settle.
Lawyers themselves can’t always provide a clear answer to the question, how long does it take to settle a lawsuit?
Every case is different, so every settlement process is different. We’ll explain the common factors that could cause a lawsuit to take longer than expected.
To see if you qualify or want to apply for pre-settlement funding, please don’t hesitate to contact our team today for assistance.
Why Is My Lawyer Taking So Long To Settle My Case?
We hear the same sentiment from many personal injury victims: “My lawyer is taking too long to settle this claim.”
In most cases, the lawyer is doing everything they can to settle the case in a reasonable amount of time.
Still, it is a frustrating position to find yourself in.
To better understand why some lawsuits take longer than others, there are a few things that can lengthen the timeline of a personal injury settlement.
Hindering factors include the presence of significant damages, liability disputes, damage disputes, and Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI).
1. Significant Damages
Significant damages in your personal injury claim can slow the settlement process.
When an insurance company faces the prospect of paying out significant damages, they may deliberately prolong negotiations.
They do this deliberately to reduce the amount of money they have to pay in the settlement.
Insurance companies know the financial toll personal injuries take, and they know that injured parties need to pay bills in the meantime.
Thus, the rationale in prolonging negotiations is the longer they wait, the more likely you are to accept a lowball settlement offer.
2. Liability Disputes
The more complex a case is, the longer it will take to settle.
If there is a question of liability in your personal injury case, it will complicate the settlement process.
For example, if the opposing party claims that you are partially at fault for the injury, your lawyer will need to prove that this is not the case.
Doing so takes time, so the settlement process is longer.
Litigation is even more complex where there are multiple potentially liable parties.
Your lawyer will need to investigate the case and the parties involved to ensure that they file your personal injury claim against the right party.
3. Disputes Over Damages
If the responsible party questions the validity of specific damages in your personal injury claim, it will slow the settlement process.
For example, you may receive treatment for an injury the responsible party claims was preexisting or otherwise unrelated to the accident.
If this happens in your case, your lawyer will need to take the time to collect and submit evidence that the treatment in question is related to the accident.
Your lawyer may also need to involve your medical provider. All of this takes time but is necessary to ensure your settlement is just.
4. Maximum Medical Improvement
One of the common themes in personal injury cases is that you should reach the maximum medical improvement level (MMI) before you settle your case.
When you reach MMI, it means that you have recovered from your injuries as much as possible.
With a personal injury claim, you should recover from your injuries as fully as possible before you settle.
Some injuries take a long time to heal.
After a complex injury, unexpected elements often arise in the healing process that can bring unexpected costs.
If you settle your injury claim before reaching MMI, you risk having to pay those unanticipated medical costs yourself.
Waiting to settle your lawsuit until you reach MMI may feel painful in the short run but often pays off in the long run.
Should I Take a Smaller Settlement?
If your settlement is taking a long time, you may consider taking a smaller settlement to get it over with.
After all, bills are due when they are due, and collections agencies are quick to remind you of this fact.
Even so, you should not accept a lawsuit settlement offer that doesn’t fully reimburse you for the damages you suffer.
You may think, what if I can’t wait?
If it feels like you can’t wait, you still have other options.
What Other Options Do I Have?
If you can’t wait for an adequate settlement and need financial assistance immediately, you don’t have to accept a lowball settlement offer.
Instead, you can take out a personal injury lawsuit loan.
Injury Wallet can connect you with numerous pre-settlement lawsuit loan lenders and help you ensure that you get the financial support you need while you wait for your settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Lawsuit Loans
Most people have never heard of lawsuit loans.
Thus, here at Injury Wallet, we get quite a few questions about them. Here are the answers to some of our client’s most frequently asked questions.
What Is a Lawsuit Loan?
A lawsuit loan is a form of pre-settlement funding. It is a loan that you can take out while you wait for your lawsuit to settle.
With the funds from a lawsuit loan in your pocket, you can pay the bills right away.
In doing so, you ensure that you don’t have to accept a lowball settlement offer and bear the costs of damages yourself.
After all, someone else caused your injury, and they should be the ones to pay for it.
How Do I Apply for a Lawsuit Loan?
Applying for a lawsuit loan is simple. All you have to do is fill out our short form.
Generally, all you need to provide for a lawsuit loan is proof that you have filed a claim for damages.
When you fill out our application, you will provide us with your attorney’s contact information.
We will get in touch with your attorney for confirmation and then submit your claim information to the nation’s top lawsuit loan companies.
What If I Lose My Case?
If you end up losing your case in court, don’t fret. You only have to pay back a lawsuit loan if you win or settle your case.
Unlike with a traditional loan, the collateral on a lawsuit loan is the settlement of the claim itself. Nothing else secures the loan, so if you lose, you won’t owe a penny.
Contact Injury Wallet Today
If you’re interested in a lawsuit loan, contact Injury Wallet for assistance. Our goal at Injury Wallet is to find the best possible lawsuit loan for you.
We compare the rates and terms of all the top lawsuit lenders, so you don’t have to.
Don’t take the lowball settlement offer. Instead, borrow with confidence. Get started today!
