The length of time it takes to process a personal injury claim depends on the complexity of the case and who the claim is being processed with.
The personal injury claim process is one of evidence collection and investigation both on the part of your side through your solicitor and the other side through their legal department.
If a case is straightforward, then generally speaking a personal injury claim can be processed in as little as 6-8 weeks from start to finish. This is the case with road traffic accidents, slips, trips and falls and accidents in the workplace.
However, a lot also depends on the other side’s legal department and with regards to this, it can be a waiting game in terms of getting a response. Insurance companies in particular are very slow when processing claims. This is only natural, given that they need to investigate each claim to ensure its legitimacy, but it can be incredibly frustrating for the victim who may need their compensation to pay for their medical care and cover their costs.
Due to the other side’s processes, a claim can take a few months to process. Some claims take over six months to process. However, your solicitor should keep you updated throughout the claims process so that you know what is happening and where you are at.
Staying realistic through the claims process
Because you are effectively at the mercy of the other side’s legal process, it’s important to stay realistic through the claims process and not take any estimated time given to you as set in stone. While your solicitor will be able to provide you with an estimated timeframe based on past cases they cannot guarantee you will receive your pay-out by a certain period.
What your solicitor can do however is mark your case as a priority so that when the other side receives it they handle it with the utmost urgency. This is more of a request than an order however most insurers treat these as they should.
If your injuries are life-threatening or you desperately need your compensation to pay for your medical care and support, then your solicitor will mark your case as a priority and the other side, whether they are an insurer or a business, should treat it as such. This is useful where claims are of a particularly sensitive nature or where the claim is clear-cut and a pay-out is all but guaranteed, but the client can’t wait months to receive their compensation.
To find out more about priority cases or for a better estimate of how long your claim will take to process based on its individual elements, ask your solicitor.