Slip and fall accident lawsuits where it is easy to prove the negligence of the property owner with no severe injuries can get settled in 12 to 15 months. Whereas complicated cases of slip and fall accidents where the injuries are severe and it is difficult to prove the negligence of the property owner can take up to a couple of years to settle. Further, there are many factors that will determine the time a slip and fall lawsuit can settle. Not all cases are similar, neither the court working and the state.
Anyone who suffered an injury because of a nasty slip, where there is the negligence of someone else, they are eligible to sue the property owner or occupier. A fall can lead to severe injuries, expensive medical care, and also lost wages in many cases. All these can lead to mental and financial problems for the victim. People generally file a lawsuit, in the hope that they will get compensation and they can pay for their injuries medication and cover the lost wages. But lawsuits are time-consuming and many get frustrated on how much more they have to wait till their case settles.
Therefore, we bring you an understanding of how long it takes for a slip and fall lawsuit to settle, and what factors affect the delay in the court proceedings. Let’s walk step-by-step through the stages of these cases to get an idea of the timelines you might face.
Factors That Are Responsible For The Time It Takes For A Slip & Fall Lawsuit To Settle
Some of the common factors that we know determine how much time it will take for a slip & fall case to settle include:
- Location where the accident happened
- Severity of injuries
- Time taken during medical treatment
- Evidence collection and proofs
- Court proceedings & settlement negotiation
- Collection of the settlement award
Location Of The Accident
If a person attained injury while falling on someone else property because of the owner’s negligence, they must need to prove it. In the absence of a property owner, if you fall and there is no witness, it becomes very hard to prove the fault of the owner, since many owner don’t know about the shortcomings in their property.
But if you suffered an injury while falling on a slippery floor inside an establishment with many people present there, it becomes easy to gather the witnesses. In case you suffered an injury in a restaurant where they didn’t mention the slippery floor, and no warning signs were present there, your case will be strong. And many witnesses will be eager to assist you since they have seen the complete scenarios.
Severity Of Injuries
The injury that you suffered will also determine the compensation amount you will get. But to get fair compensation you need to cover your medical improvement to the last extent, then only you can have a fair settlement value.
Time Taken During Medical Treatment
Sometimes a surgery like back surgery or knee surgery takes time and in those scenarios, you have to wait until you recover. Once you are healthy and able to continue with the court proceeding, with medical bills with you, your chances increase of getting compensation. But all this medical care, generally takes couple of months, delaying your case a bit.
Evident Collection
Once you hire an attorney for a slip and fall accident, the first thing the attorney will do is to file a court case. After that, they will start gathering evidence. Evidence collection is a tough job as the attorney needs to create a solid ground for your case, they will take witness information, how the accident happened, establish the negligence, and many more. The period while collecting evidence generally takes months. To make things easy for the attorney the victim should record everything that happened, or ask any of your nearby people to do so. This will be a lot of help to make your case strong.
Collect the contact information of other people present at the location. File a police case and report everything that happens. Confront the owner of the property and let them know about the accident. Also, it is advisable to have all medical records and medical bills in one place and handover it to the attorney to reduce the time of the court case.
Court Proceedings & Settlement Negotiation
After you have filed a court case, and asked for compensation for the damages from the offender, you have to wait till final judgment. No slip & fall cases are simple, they are complex and need a lot of court time to determine who is at fault and what value should be allocated to the victim. You may have to go through 10s of hearings until your case is settled. Further, the settlement negotiation is a tough job, as an attorney has to showcase what happened and how severely you as a plaintiff suffered from that.
Further, the judge will take every evidence in order to determine who is at fault. All these will take 8-10 months of time. In between you have to keep composure and have to wait patiently without taking any lowball offer from the other party outside of court.
Collection Of Settlement Award
Even when you win the case, you may have to wait for a while to get the money you are eligible for. Either an insurance company will cover the expenses if the property owner is insured. You have to wait till the insurance company reviews everything. You have to present all your bills and proof of lost wages to the insurance company and court, to determine the value.
Your attorney will handle all the negotiations with the insurance company so that you can get what you deserve. All these communication and negotiations will take some time. Further, the negotiation process is also complex, as an insurance company will ask for many things until they provide you the settlement.
Take Lawsuit Loan For Your Slip & Fall Accident Case, If You Need Money Now!
If you or your loved one suffered a horrible fall on someone else property because of the negligence of someone else, suing the owner will help you get the compensation. But not every person has a lot of savings to tackle the court fees, hire a lawyer, and pay for surgery in case it is required.
Lawsuit funding is a solution designed especially for the plaintiff who are in need of cash right now to continue with the court proceedings. Further, a slip and fall settlement loan will get you the urgent money you require right now before any judgment. Being a risk-free cash advance, it becomes an interesting option for the plaintiff going with a lot of financial worries. So if you need a cash advance for your slip and fall accident claim, apply today!
