Once a personal injury settlement is reached and an authorization form is signed, you can usually expect to receive your settlement check within 3 to 6 weeks. However, this time frame may vary depending on factors such as the complexity of the case and the insurance company's processing time. If you're an insurance company, as is the case with most personal injury plaintiffs, the process of issuing the check is usually fairly quick. Once the agreement is finalized and signed, insurance companies usually send a check within a month.
On average, receiving a personal injury compensation check takes four to six weeks after both parties sign the settlement agreement. Sometimes it takes longer and, in rare cases, the check arrives in less than four weeks. You can be sure that writing a settlement check takes much less time than winning a judgment in a trial. It shouldn't take long to receive your compensation for an injury claim in Pennsylvania, unless the defendant has filed an appeal. Victims can receive settlements through structured or lump-sum payments, depending on the defendant's ability.
While reaching an out-of-court settlement may be faster than going to trial, victims should know that presenting their case to a judge or jury may result in them seeking greater compensation. Going to court provides an opportunity to obtain additional damages for pain and suffering. Settlements can be delayed for a number of reasons, and significant delays must be reported to our attorneys. Generally, Pennsylvania insurance companies must respond to a claim in a matter of weeks. Upon approval of a claim, a negotiation process can begin, especially if an insurance company's initial offer is insufficient.
After filing a claim with your own insurance company or with the company of a negligent party, they must respond relatively quickly. In general, complainants can expect to receive a response within several weeks. Usually, an insurance company's first settlement offer will be low, resulting in a negotiation between the company and our personal injury attorneys in Pennsylvania. If both parties want to avoid litigation, this stage of the negotiation could be resolved fairly quickly.
If you sue a negligent party for compensation, negotiations with your insurance company may take longer. If an agreement is reached, negotiations will stop and the matter will be resolved. If negotiations are unsuccessful and a settlement cannot be reached, you can take your case to trial for compensation. In some cases, even if you file a lawsuit, our Pennsylvania personal injury attorney and the opposing attorney will reach an agreement before the trial takes place.
This is often done to limit risk and reduce legal costs that could otherwise affect your net settlement. If negotiations to reach an agreement are successful, attorneys will inform the court that an agreement has been reached. At this point, the court will issue a conciliation order, which will require both parties to submit certain documents. The key document is the exemption from all claims. The insurance company will send a check to our office within three to six weeks after signing the authorization.
This happens after a case has been resolved or if a judgment was handed down after a trial. In injury cases involving insurance companies, lump sum payments are more common. With a single payment, plaintiffs in Pennsylvania will receive all of the settlement or the amount awarded in court at one time. While this is preferable for many injury victims, especially those with overwhelming medical costs, it's not always possible. If a case is returned for a new trial, it is also possible to appeal that decision. This process could drag on for a couple of years.
Sometimes, our Poconos personal injury attorney will work to resolve a case and avoid the possibility of a lengthy appeals process. While this could delay your ability to recover damages from a defendant, your case is unlikely to be appealed if guilt is clearly proven at the first trial. In most personal injury cases, the defendant has insurance. Unless there are significant assets, our personal injury attorney in Media, PA, will generally not sue an uninsured person. However, people who don't have insurance rarely have a lot of valuable assets.
There are cases where a defendant has significant personal assets and it is worth pursuing a lawsuit. In such a case, the reconciliation process is similar to that of working with an insurance company with some differences. For example, our law office will insist that the defendant deliver a certified check to ensure they are able to pay a settlement before returning a signed claims resolution form. In addition, when you receive a civil judgment in Pennsylvania, you obtain a judicial lien on the defendant's real estate. Therefore, if you win a personal injury lawsuit against an uninsured person who owns a home, you will have a court lien against you.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to collect this type of court lien, as there are generally other liens on the property, such as mortgages. In most cases, once everything is resolved, you should receive your money within six weeks. However, in some situations, payment is delayed. If you are taking an unreasonable amount of time to receive your settlement check, you should call our Lehigh County personal injury lawyer.
Our office will be able to investigate why your payment is overdue. For example, there could be a discrepancy with a medical expense that is delaying the distribution of your funds. Other reasons for delaying a settlement include the defendant's lack of cooperation or the filing of an appeal. We should be able to determine if there was an unforeseen complication and resolve it.
When you bring your case to a judge or jury, you can present convincing evidence of guilt and explain your need to pay non-financial compensation. Punitive damages may also be available if victims go to court instead of reaching a settlement in Pennsylvania, increasing the compensation that victims can recover. Even the threat of going to court could convince a negligent party to settle for a larger amount. While our attorneys don't usually reach an agreement, each case is different, as are the needs of each victim.
You don't have to make the decision to go to trial right away in Pennsylvania. If you want to explore the possibility of reaching an agreement, you can do so. If negotiations don't move forward, you can choose to end negotiations with an insurance company or a negligent party and go to court. Once you have accepted a settlement, you will not be able to continue with a trial, in which you could claim greater compensation in Pennsylvania. Often, settlements can be negotiated in a matter of months, while lawsuits can take months or years in Pennsylvania. This means that you can receive your compensation sooner if you settle your case out of court.
That said, reaching a settlement rather than going to trial should not be a decision based on when you will receive compensation. While it's understandable that victims want to recover damages as soon as possible, it might be better for you to go through a trial, especially if a judge or jury offers greater compensation. I highly recommend the team at the Reiff Law Firm. Both Jeff and Robert were there to guide me through a very difficult time.
What began as a time for me that included a lot of doubts, questions and hopelessness has become a time of a hopeful future. The team at the Reiff Law Firm made me feel at ease and I didn't hesitate to trust them with regard to several concerns. They kept me informed every step of the way without making me feel overwhelmed or anxious. Don't hesitate to contact them for your legal needs, especially if you want a team that has the utmost concern and compassion for their clients.
Once the legal process begins, there is no clear timeline for these types of proceedings. If both parties are friendly, you can reach an agreement in just a few weeks. Complex cases that go to trial can take several years to resolve. The schedule will depend on several factors, such as the severity of your injuries, the evidence, whether or not the offender will challenge your claims, and the court's availability and schedules.
Injured victims often have to wait 30 to 60 days to receive the compensation check. This is primarily due to factors such as the defendant's insurance policy, the type of personal injury case, and more. We work quickly to issue you with your settlement money after resolving your claim. Usually, we hold funds only until the check is cleared. This process usually takes no more than five business days, although exceptions may occur.