How Long Will My Personal Injury Case Take?
Over 35 years of experience. Over $100 million recovered for clients.
How Long Will My Personal Injury Case Take?
Over 35 years of experience. Over $100 million recovered for clients.

How Long Will My Personal Injury Case Take?

That is a very difficult question to answer. It depends on many factors, such as the type of case, the type of injuries, who the defendant’s insurance company is, how long you treat, and whether or not the case will end up in litigation.

The first issue is determining what type of case you have. Is it a car accident where you were rear-ended and there is no dispute on liability? Or is it a slip and fall where there may be additional investigation required to determine who is at fault? Or a case involving a dog bite where the owner of the dog or property where you were bitten has to be located. If there was a crime involved, obtaining the police investigation from the police or prosecutors office often causes lengthy delays. These are just some of the factors that could delay the settlement of your case.

The next issue is the type of injuries you receive. In some cases, your injuries may heal very quickly and the treatment may be very limited. On the other hand you have may sustained serious and permanent injuries which require surgery such as a fusion and have substantial wage losses. The severity of your injury is going to play an important role in how long your case takes to resolve.

The identity of the defendant’s insurance company and how much insurance is available will also impact how long the case takes to settle. Some insurance companies are very straightforward and will try and settle fairly and quickly. While others will not talk settlement until the case is in litigation and extensive discovery such as interrogatories and depositions are conducted. We recently settled a case with Allstate Insurance Company. While the case should have settled quickly, it was not until a lawsuit was filed and their insured was served with the summons and complaint did they offer a fair settlement. Each insurance company is different and how they settle their claims will affect how long it takes to settle your case.

Also the type of treatment and the duration will impact how long your case takes to settle. Treatment can vary from only a visit to the doctor or emergency room to extensive hospitalization and rehabilitation. As you can see, the duration of treatment can vary dramatically.

Finally, if your case does go into litigation, meaning a lawsuit is field on your behalf or the estate’s behalf, it will also greatly affect how long the case takes to resolve. In our experience, on the more serious injury cases and wrongful death claims, the defendants will require substantial discovery to be exchanged before they will talk seriously about resolving the case. Often arbitration will be held or mediation will be conducted before the case settles. It is impossible to know with any certainty at an early stage in the case.

As indicated above no one can tell you right after an accident how long it will take to settle since there are so many factors to evaluate. However, a good experienced lawyer should be able to give you a good overview of the process and what to expect at different stages of your case.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Todd Leonard and his staff made me feel like family.

Trust me, he will take you into his hands and take care of all your personal injury legal matters. They are friendly, professional, and go out all the way for you. Thank you Todd Leonard and staff.

- Frank O.
You are the most amazing person

and I am indebted to you forever!

- P.S.
I highly recommend using this law firm.

My lawyer Paul Paravati was always available there for me and gave me first rate service.

- Richard B.
Mr. Leonard’s law firm constantly kept in touch

and on top of my problems. They were quick to respond to my legal needs and were very attentive and showed real concern to my issues. I highly recommend them to anyone needing legal representation.

- Leslie W.
Todd and his staff were courteous and caring about my personal well-being.

They were knowledgeable and settled my case in an expedited manner. I really felt they were on my side the whole way. Thank you Todd and staff for excellent treatment!

- B.H.
The Leonard Law Firm is truly amazing.

They go above and beyond to make sure you get what you deserve.

- Gina V.
He was relentless

until the case was fully settled and all was in our favor. Thank you so much. We highly recommend his office to anyone.

- E. and M.

A proven track record of success

$29.5Million
Product Liability & Auto Accident
$3.5Million
Drunk Driving Accident
$2.94Million
Car Accident Road Defect
$2.5Million
Workplace Construction Accident
$2.25Million
Fall Down Accident
$1.8Million
Car Accident State Vehicle
$1.8Million
Car Accident State Vehicle
$1.5Million
Fatal Apartment Fire
$1.36Million
Auto Accident
$1.2Million
Auto Accident
$1.0Million
Civil Sexual Assault Lawsuit
$1.0Million
Slip & Fall Accident
$1.0Million
Fall Down Accident
$29.5Million
Product Liability & Auto Accident
$3.5Million
Drunk Driving Accident
$2.94Million
Car Accident Road Defect
$2.5Million
Workplace Construction Accident
$2.25Million
Fall Down Accident
$1.8Million
Car Accident State Vehicle
$1.5Million
Fatal Apartment Fire
$1.36Million
Auto Accident
$1.2Million
Auto Accident
$1.0Million
Civil Sexual Assault Lawsuit
$1.0Million
Slip & Fall Accident
$1.0Million
Fall Down Accident
$29.5Million
Product Liability & Auto Accident
$3.96Million
Car Accident/Brain Injury
$3.5Million
Drunk Driving Accident
$3.1Million
Slip and Fall: Workers’ Compensation & Premises Liability Accident
$2.94Million
Car Accident Road Defect
$2.5Million
Workplace Construction Accident
$2.25Million
Fall Down Accident
$1.8Million
Car Accident State Vehicle
$1.5Million
Fatal Fire Apartment
$1.36Million
Auto Accident
$1.2Million
Auto Accident
$1.1Million
Slip & Fall Accident

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Being injured or having a family member injured can have serious and lifelong consequences. We can try to ease the burden. Contact us today to learn more about how our team of experienced New Jersey accident attorneys can support you through these challenging times.