How Long Does it Take to Settle a Personal Injury Claim in Tennessee?

Posted in Personal Injury on December 4, 2021

If you have sustained an injury due to the negligent actions of another individual, business, or entity in Tennessee, then you may be able to recover compensation for your losses. However, you also need to know that the timeframe for settling a personal injury claim is not set in stone. In some cases, these claims could be resolved within a few months. However, there are times when personal injury cases are drawn out for a year or more. Here, we want to discuss how long it usually takes for personal injury claims in Tennessee to settle.

Settling Through an Insurance Carrier

Generally, personal injury claims in Tennessee will be resolved through settlements with insurance carriers. Regardless of whether or not the injury occurred as a result of a vehicle accident, slip and fall incident, workplace incident, or in another way, insurance carriers will usually be involved.

Cases resolved by insurance carriers will usually reach a conclusion faster than cases that have to go through the personal injury lawsuit process. However, there is no set amount of time that it takes for an insurance claim to settle. For relatively minor injuries where the fault is not disputed, the claim could be resolved within a few weeks or a few months.

However, if there is a dispute over fault in the incident or how much compensation should be paid out, insurance settlements could drag out for months or even more than a year. It is crucial to work with a skilled personal injury lawyer in Tennessee who can handle these claims on behalf of their client and work towards the path of recovering maximum compensation while also keeping timeframes in mind.

Entering the Personal Injury Lawsuit Process

In the event the insurance carriers refuse to offer a fair settlement, or if they deny the claim altogether, it will be necessary for a personal injury victim and their attorney to file a civil lawsuit against the at-fault party. However, when a personal injury lawsuit is filed in civil court, this will likely extend the amount of time that it takes for the case to finally resolve.

First, it is important to point out that the personal injury statute of limitations in Tennessee is one year from the date an injury occurs. Failing to file a lawsuit within this timeframe will likely result in the injury victim becoming unable to recover the compensation they need.

The civil lawsuit process takes longer than insurance carrier settlements, and it is not uncommon for this process to take a year or more to conclude. Both sides will enter the discovery phase, where they will continue gathering evidence and exchanging this evidence with one another. While the discovery phase is ongoing, it is not uncommon for attorneys for the plaintiff and the defendant to continue negotiations towards a resolution. However, if a case has to go all the way to trial, it may not get to a jury for a few years.

The overall personal injury lawsuit time frame in Tennessee can range anywhere from multiple months to multiple years. Again, a skilled injury lawyer in Nashville will be able to examine your case and help you understand how long it may take for your claim to resolve based on the complexity of the issues.