As personal injury victims, many plaintiffs don’t know what to expect from their Ohio lawsuit. How long will it take? When will you get paid? What will you need to do before everything is settled? When you hire an attorney, they’ll be able to give you specifics. Here is a general overview of what to expect.

Remember that most cases settle before they ever go to trial, so you may be finished earlier than this timeline indicates.

• Seek medical help. First and foremost, make sure that you receive medical treatment, even if you think that you walked away from an accident unscathed. It is common for people to develop injuries or complications after the fact. If you don’t get checked out right away, the insurance companies (or jury) might believe you weren’t really hurt.
• Document your injuries and recovery. As you recover, make sure to document your injuries through photographs and an injury journal.
• Hire an attorney. Next, you’ll want to hire an experienced personal injury attorney. If your injury is serious (such as a broken bone) and/or has caused you to miss work, you should at least consult with an attorney. If they believe you have a case, you can go further. Make sure to do this before the statute of limitations expires.
• Next, your lawyer will review your records. If they believe you’ve reached “maximum medical improvement,” they’ll either make a demand or file a lawsuit. Your claim could be settled at this point.
• Filing and discovery phase. If your lawyer decides to go forward with a lawsuit (or the insurance company and defense attorneys weren’t amenable to a settlement), your attorney will file the necessary papers. Trial will be within one to two years. Your attorney will guide you through the discovery phase, which may include interrogatories, depositions, and other ways to exchange information.
• If the discovery phase shows that you have a good case, defense attorneys will usually be willing to settle. However, they may undervalue the case. If your attorney can’t get a reasonable settlement, they’ll need to proceed to trial.
• Settlement or trial. If your attorney can secure a reasonable settlement for you before trial, that can save you months of time. If they believe it’s necessary to proceed to trial, you should expect proceedings to continue for months, weeks, or longer, depending on how complicated your case is.

Call an Ohio Personal Injury Attorney Today

Have you been injured due to someone else’s negligence? You shouldn’t bear the costs of medical care, loss of income and recovery alone. I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call me today at 877.944.4373 for a consultation. I’ll evaluate the facts of your case and let you know the best way to proceed.