How Long Will My Injury Case Take?

Whiplash, sprains, contusions, minor concussions. Treatment usually wraps in 8–16 weeks of physical therapy. Once you're released from care, expect 3–5 months to negotiate.

These cases settle without a lawsuit the vast majority of the time. Faster settlements usually mean smaller settlements — insurers pay a premium to close them quickly before the client learns their case is worth more.

Torn rotator cuffs, herniated discs, ACL tears, fractures requiring hardware. You can't settle honestly until you know the surgery worked, which means at least a year of post-op recovery and PT.

Rushing a surgical case is where people leave the most money on the table. Waiting for MMI often doubles or triples the offer.

Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, severe burns. These cases require life-care planners, vocational experts, and economic experts to project decades of care and lost earning capacity.

They also almost always require filing suit, because insurers don't voluntarily pay policy limits on seven- and eight-figure claims. Discovery alone typically runs 12–18 months.

Wrongful death has additional layers: probate court involvement, statutory beneficiaries, and often multiple defendants. Investigation is longer because the client — the person who could describe what happened — is gone.

These cases are almost never rushed. They also almost never settle for the first offer.

Court backlogs vary wildly. A trial date in Los Angeles County might be 30 months out; in a rural jurisdiction, 8 months. States with mandatory pre-suit mediation (Florida, some others) add months on the front end but often settle faster in the middle.

Statutes of limitations also vary: 1 year in Louisiana and Tennessee, 2 years in most states, 3 years in a handful, 6 years in Maine for some claims. Claims against government entities usually require notice within 60–180 days regardless of the underlying statute.

Clear liability — dashcam footage, admitted fault, a criminal conviction. Consistent treatment with no gaps. Reasonable demand backed by strong documentation. An attorney willing to file suit when negotiation stalls.

What slows a case down: gaps in treatment, social media contradictions, unclear liability, pre-existing conditions without proper medical opinions, and delay tactics from an insurer who thinks you'll cave.