In Missouri, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit is 5 years (article 516, 120 of the Missouri Code). This means that claims must be filed within 5 years of the discovery of the injury. Half of our readers resolved their personal injury claims within two months to a year, while 30% of readers waited more than a year for their cases to be resolved. The overall average was 11.4 months.
It's natural to want a quick payment, but a faster resolution doesn't necessarily mean a better outcome. Most cases take between one and five years after hiring an attorney to conclude. The length of the case varies depending on the severity of the injuries, the complexity of the case, the amount of damages, the court schedule, a person's patience to wait for a better outcome, and the insurance company's willingness to be reasonable. If you are still receiving medical treatment for your injuries, then you have not achieved maximum medical improvement (MMI).
Claims for whiplash that is not substantially disabling are resolved more quickly than claims for more serious injuries. For example, one or more doctors treating your injuries may hesitate to link your injuries to an act of negligence. The statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit in Missouri is a generous five years from the date of the accident or the date the injury became known. Recovery from more serious injuries is slower and it takes time to determine a long-term prognosis.
Because these are demonstrable damages caused by an injury, the first step in any personal injury claim is to seek medical treatment. Part of knowing the answer to the question “How long does a personal injury case take?” is to understand the process of litigating personal injury cases. If negotiations between the two parties involved in a personal injury case break down, the judge overseeing the case could ask both parties to attend a mediation session. Louis, allowing us to care for personal injury victims in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois.
That's why insurance adjusters, as well as attorneys who help injured people, are often motivated to reach a personal injury settlement. Within the prognosis, your doctor calculates how much more money would be needed to treat and rehabilitate your injuries. You'll most likely have a number of questions about what to expect throughout your personal injury case. If your case goes to litigation, your lawyer files a personal injury lawsuit with the appropriate civil court.