If you have a personal injury lawsuit pending, you may be wondering how long it will take you to receive your settlement and how large that settlement will be. There are a few factors that will determine the length and costs. Here are three of those factors.
Length of Treatment
After an accident where you suffered serious injuries, you must figure out your medical costs. In cases where the patient may not be fully recovered, it can be complicated. Some insurance companies will not want to resolve the claim until you know the full extent of your medical costs. In other cases, the doctor may say that the injuries are permanent and that the patient will not recover fully. When this happens, the doctor will give a permanency rating and may be able to provide future cost projections.
Time to Receive Medical Records
One factor that can affect your case is how long it might take you to receive your medical records. When you hire your attorney, you should also sign a medical release form. This allows the attorney to gather your medical bills and records. Sometimes, the doctor or hospital staff will respond quickly but in other instances, it can take weeks or months to receive the proper documents. This can affect the length of time that your case is going to take.
Liens on Your Injury Case
When you have a personal injury case, if there are any liens against it, then it could take longer for you to receive your settlement. If you suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence, you cannot normally wait around to receive your settlement before you receive medical treatment. If you used your health insurance to pay the cost of medical bills, then the insurance may ask you to pay them the costs that they provided.
In addition to insurance companies, hospitals and healthcare providers can also put a lien on your settlement. If your case has a good chance of success, some healthcare providers will give you time to pay off your medical bills. Often, they will put a lien on your settlement.
When you are filing a personal injury lawsuit, there are a lot of factors that will determine how long it takes you to receive a settlement and how much of a settlement you can receive. To find out if you have a case, contact a personal injury lawyer in Washington DC, like the office of The Law Firm of Frederick J. Brynn, P.C.
