As a Kansas City personal injury attorney, I handle all of my cases on a contingency fee basis. Under this arrangement, my fee is collected at the end of the case, at the same time my clients get their money. Because of this, it is beneficial to both me and my clients to move cases forward towards resolution as quickly as possible. However, there are some things out of my control that sometimes slow cases down.
One of the most common things that slow cases down is waiting for my clients to be released by his or her doctors. It is important to know the extent of medical care that you will need before moving forward because the cost of that medical care is something you are entitled to be compensated for. If you try and resolve a case while still under a doctor's care, you might miss some later medical costs which will go uncompensated. Remember, you can only settle a case once. It's therefore important to know what kind of medical care you will need before trying to settle.
Another thing that can slow cases down are court deadlines and time limits allowed by law. If your case can't settle out of court and you have to file suit, judges will often set deadlines in lawsuits. These are usually set backwards from the trial date which, unfortunately, is often set more than a year out from the date the suit is filed. Furthermore, the law provides time limits for responses to certain requests and motions. These time limits can be as long as 90 days. Both deadlines and time limits are often out of the attorney's control and can make a case drag out.
There are other circumstances that can slow down a personal injury case. Thankfully, though, there are also tools we can use to speed things up. And with careful planning that comes with experience, case delays can be minimized. If you've been involved in an accident or think you might have a valid personal injury claim, please contact my firm today to arrange a free consultation.