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How Long Does a Car Accident Lawsuit Take?
Have you or a loved one had the misfortune of being injured in a car accident? If so, you may have already filed a claim with insurance. If your injuries are severe, insurance is unlikely to cover the full extent of your medical bills.
With the insurance offer being insufficient, you may decide to file a car accident lawsuit. Depending on your specific circumstances, a car accident lawsuit can take several months to years to resolve. Nonetheless, it may be your only chance of recovering the compensation you deserve.
At Mickey Keenan P.A., our Tampa car accident lawyers believe that nobody should be plagued by exorbitant medical bills following a trauma. If you need an advocate to fight for just compensation on your behalf, look no further than our legal team.
Insurance Claims
Before legal action is pursued, you will file a claim with your insurance company. In Florida, insurers are required to provide written notice of paying or denying your claim within 60 days of receipt. This time restriction ensures that your claim will be investigated in a timely manner.
Filing an insurance claim requires providing sufficient evidence documenting your losses. This will include medical statements, pay stubs reflecting lost income, and even repair bills. If, after negotiations, the insurance company does not offer you an adequate settlement, you may need to consider taking legal action.
Filing a Lawsuit
Bringing your case to court guarantees that the time to resolve your case will be extended. The stages of a lawsuit can be broken down as follows:
- Initial Pleadings: The plaintiff will file a complaint, which specifies the legal claim made against the defendant. The defendant must file an answer within 20 days of receiving the complaint and summons.
- Discovery: During this phase, both parties will exchange information. Discovery may include interrogatories (formal set of written questions), depositions (out-of-court oral testimony), requests for admission (set of statements sent to the opposing party), or requests for production (requests for electronic data or documents from the opposing party).
- Pre-Trial Motions: During discovery, either party can file motions. A motion is asking the court to do something. Under Florida law, before filing a motion, each party should discuss the issue with opposing counsel to see if the issue can be resolved without court intervention.
- Pre-Trial Conference: A pre-trial conference is the final hearing before a case moves to trial. This is the final chance for both parties to meet in front of a judge and attempt to reach a settlement.
- Trial: Each party will be given the chance to present evidence and call upon witnesses. If either party requests a jury trial, their verdict must be unanimous.
There are factors that can extend the trial timeline, so it is difficult to know how long the trial process may last.
A Tampa Car Accident Lawyer Offering Aggressive Representation
If you have fallen victim to a car accident, you may think that relief will never come. Fortunately, when you hire the experienced car accident lawyers at Mickey Keenan P.A., you are hiring a legal team that will not stop fighting for you. To schedule your initial consultation, contact us online or by phone.