Slip and fall accidents often lead to significant injuries and major medical expenses. These incidents can also lead to lost wages and various other expenses that individuals are not prepared for. It is crucial for slip and fall victims to know how long their case could take, but there are specific factors that can influence the total time frame.
The first step for a slip and fall accident case is to file an insurance claim against the at-fault party. This means that the at-fault party’s insurance carrier will essentially take over the case and work to come to a resolution.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for insurance carriers to push back against having to pay out compensation. These are for-profit companies, and they will use various tactics to limit the compensation they pay to a slip and fall injury victim. One of these tactics is to offer an incredibly low settlement upfront. If the initial settlement offer is not accepted by the injury victim, the insurance carrier will usually draw out the negotiation process in the hopes that the victim will relent and take as little money as possible for their case.
It could take anywhere from a few months to more than a year to reach a settlement in a Denver slip and fall accident claim. However, there are times when these cases cannot be resolved through communication with insurance companies.
In the event individuals are unable to come to an agreeable settlement offer with the insurance carrier after a slip and fall incident, it may be necessary to file a civil personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. When this happens, the case will enter the civil court system in Colorado, which opens with the discovery process.
The discovery phase is essentially when both sides will exchange information and evidence that they have gathered, and they will take depositions of witnesses. Depending on the complexity of the claim, the discovery can take quite some time, often multiple months or even more than a year. During this process, it is not uncommon for both sides to continue settlement negotiations, particularly if relevant information comes to light to push one or both parties toward a settlement or to drop the case.
In the event a settlement is not reached during this process, the case will be scheduled for trial. It is not uncommon for personal injury trials to be scheduled a year or more after the actual initial incident occurs.
Understanding how long your Denver slip and fall accident claim will take can be challenging, and the first step you need to take is to work with an attorney. A skilled lawyer who has experience handling premises liability claims can help you understand the expected time frame related to your specific case. Your attorney will examine specific factors in your slip and fall incident and help guide you toward the path of recovering the most compensation possible.
There’s never a guarantee that a slip and fall accident claim will be successful, but working with an attorney will significantly increase your odds of a successful case.
