What Happens When a Personal Injury Claim Goes to Court?

 

Personal injuries, such as slip-and-falls, medical malpractice incidents, or car accidents can cause you tremendous pain and suffering. While you may think about settling with the involved insurance companies out of court, they might not be willing to give you what you deserve.

When negotiations fall through, you’ll be glad to have a team of personal injury lawyers on your side to help when your personal injury claim goes to court.

Taking a Personal Injury Claim to Court

It’s better to wait to file until you’ve fully recovered from your injuries and reached your medical maximum improvement so you know what your settlement amount should be. Once you’ve filed your claim, don’t expect it to be heard in court until one to two years after you file. This accounts for the time it takes to try and negotiate a settlement as well as any pretrial motions.

Navigating the Discovery Phase with Personal Injury Lawyers

Once you’ve made it to court, your case will start with the discovery phase. This is where both sides will look at your claim and gather as much evidence as possible. You may be called up to discuss the accident as well as any injuries you’ve sustained. Depending on how much evidence there is, the discovery phase can last anywhere from a few weeks to a year. However, your personal injury lawyers will continue fighting for your case and update you on proceedings during this time.

Personal Injury Claim Deliberations and Verdicts

Once both sides have decided they have enough evidence, they’ll present the case to a judge and jury. It can take a few days or weeks for both sides to present. After that, the jury will deliberate and reach a verdict. After that, it can take up to a month to receive your benefits if you win the case.

Personal injury claims can be a complicated and lengthy process, but you don’t have to go it alone. A good personal injury lawyer won’t settle for anything less than what you deserve and will fight to ensure you win your case if it goes to court. If you’ve suffered a personal injury, call the legal experts at Lanzotti & Rau.

Southeastern Missouri’s Dedicated Personal Injury Lawyers

The personal injury lawyers at Lanzotti & Rau can help you pursue legal action to receive compensation for your injury. To learn more about our personal injury legal services or schedule a consultation, call us today at 573-335-9300.