It’s common for people to wonder how long their personal injury case is going to last. 

First, there is the investigation stage. How fast this goes can depend on how quickly clients get the information to the attorney that is needed, and how quickly hospitals, insurance carriers, and other parties involved in the case send the needed information over to the attorney.

Once this stage is complete, the attorney should have a relative sense of the value of the case and can draft up a demand letter or claim letter to send to any insurance companies that are on the hook for the injuries sustained by the claimant.

Many cases can resolve at this stage, particularly if sufficient insurance coverage is available to cover the injuries.

If the amount needed is far beyond what insurance will cover, it is likely the case will continue toward litigation via the full discovery process, which may likely include mediation at some point to try and get the case resolved prior to trial.

Ultimately, a case resolved with insurance adjusters may be done within 3-6 months. A case that cannot get settled with insurance companies can take at least a year to go all the way to trial or 2-3 years depending on the complexity of the case.

Every case is different and an attorney consultation is the best way to get a sense of how long your case may take and how much it may be worth.