Suffering injuries in a Maryland accident due to another party’s negligent or wrongful conduct can mean not only struggling with injuries that could cause you pain and lower your quality of life, but also seeing a tower of bills begin to form in front of you. You’ll have medical expenses, missed wages, and a number of other financial issues to worry about.
To resolve these problems, you may have filed a personal injury claim. One question you could have, however, is, “How long does it take to settle a personal injury case in Maryland?”
At Steven H. Heisler, our team is dedicated to offering the support you need during the aftermath of an accident. We can help you understand what to expect from the process and fight for your rights.
Contact our personal injury lawyer to schedule a free consultation by calling (410) 625-4878.
Personal Injury Claims in Maryland
Is There a Timeline You Can Expect?
When you file a personal injury claim after being in a car accident or a slip and fall incident, one of the most important things to remember is that no case is identical to any other. You may read about claims that settle in a matter of days, but that doesn’t mean yours will. There is no set time frame, and there could be a number of factors that play a role. The claim could take weeks or months, depending on its complexity.
Something to keep in mind is that you also have a timeline to watch for when filing a claim. Maryland, like all other states, has statutes of limitations for personal injury claims. For most of these claims, you have three years from the moment the injury occurred or from when you discovered the injury. Although there may be exceptions, you should file as quickly as possible to avoid delays or to miss the deadline.
At Steven H. Heisler, we have helped clients recover millions in settlements and jury verdicts through the decades we have been helping people in Maryland.
Factors That Can Influence Your Claim’s Timeline
Your claim can take longer if certain factors apply.
Multiple Parties
The more parties involved in the claim, the longer the process can take because it can require establishing liability and assigning degrees of fault to each. That’s especially important when it comes to traffic accidents, for example, since Maryland is an at-fault state that has contributory negligence laws in place. These laws prevent you from recovering losses if you were in any way or to any degree responsible for your injuries.
When there are multiple parties involved in an accident that results in injuries, insurance companies can take longer to investigate and gather evidence that shows who is liable. There will also be more attorneys involved in the claim, which can slow down the proceedings, too.
Severity of Your Injuries
If you’ve suffered serious injuries that could leave you with permanent health problems or unable to work, the claim can also take longer to resolve. That’s because the damages you’ll seek are probably substantial since they will have to cover the future medical care you’ll need, as well as your loss of earning potential. Cases that involve wrongful deaths can also take longer because they require calculating huge losses.
When injuries are severe, insurance companies may make an offer quickly because they know you’re in dire need. These offers are usually too low to accept, which means going back to the negotiation table. All of this can take time, but it is in your best interests to fight for a fair amount of compensation.
Amount and Quality of Evidence Available
One of the factors that can speed up your claim is if you have strong evidence that demonstrates liability. If there are videos of the accident, for example, that clearly show the other party was responsible for your losses, insurance companies will be much more likely to quickly settle the claim.
Of course, the opposite is also true. If you don’t have a lot of evidence, insurance companies will fight the claim and stall the process. It can require a lot of negotiating, which translates into a lot of time, to get everyone to agree on what actually happened.
Hiring a Lawyer
Even if your claim seems like a simple one, hiring a lawyer can speed the process of settling the case. Without a lawyer, you can expect insurance companies to attempt a number of tactics to get you to drop the claim or accept a low offer. They might refuse to negotiate or delay as much as they can. If you have a lawyer assisting you, insurers will have a harder time with these strategies because your legal counsel will know what your rights are and will fight for them.
Lawyers will know how to pressure insurance companies to continue negotiating and will also know what legal channels are open to them if the insurers are acting in bad faith. As a last resort, they can also begin a lawsuit.
Additionally, attorneys know how to present a strong case. They have a clear idea of the type of evidence that can make a difference and can structure the claim in the strongest possible way.
Help Your Claim by Hiring Dedicated Personal Injury Lawyers
Schedule a Consultation With Steven H. Heisler
Every personal injury claim is unique, so there may be no real answer to how long you can expect the process of getting a settlement to take. Despite a lot of factors being out of your control when filing a claim, there are some things you can do to speed up the process. One of these is to file the claim as quickly as you can, and the other is to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer.
At Steven H. Heisler, our team provides the assistance you deserve as you navigate the claims process. With experienced representation, you have a better chance of getting a fast resolution.
Speak with a personal injury lawyer about your claim by calling (410) 625-4878.