How Long Does a Slip and Fall Case Take to Settle?

Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry L. Cochran

If you’ve been in a slip and fall accident, then you’re likely dealing with medical bills, time off work, pain, and a lot of questions, like how long do slip and fall settlements take?

It depends on your injuries, how strong the evidence is, how cooperative the property owner or the insurance company is, and local laws and regulations. For most slip and fall cases, it can take anywhere from a few months to about a year and a half. It’s good to be informed about these ins and outs so that you stay prepared, especially when insurance companies try to take advantage of you and slow things down.

Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. has handled hundreds of slip and fall claims in the state of Michigan, so we know what delays cases and what it takes to move things along.

Timeline for Slip and Fall Settlements

Most of the time, the slip and fall settlement timeline is predictable: After your fall, you seek medical care and document your injuries, and your lawyer investigates the accident, gets the necessary evidence, and files a claim with the property owner’s insurance company.

If the insurer accepts responsibility, and your injuries are straightforward, then you might be lucky enough to settle within a few months. But if your claim gets disputed or you’ve been seriously injured, things can take a lot longer. Things like complex medical treatment or permanent disabilities can mean having to wait more than a year. The goal is to wait until you’ve improved as much as possible so that your settlement’s sure to cover all your future costs.

If negotiations fail and your attorney has to file a lawsuit, that adds even more time, since discovery and depositions can stretch your case another year or more. But most cases at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. settle before a jury gets involved because insurers don’t want to run the risk of a bigger verdict.

Factors That Affect the Settlement Timeline

The average time for a slip and fall case to get resolved varies because every accident is different. The biggest factor is how severe your injuries are. The worse they are, the longer things will probably take.

Liability disputes slow everything down even more, so things like surveillance footage, incident reports, and witness statements speed things up. Property owners in Michigan are legally responsible for maintaining safe premises for visitors.

Another factor that affects how long it takes to settle a slip and fall case is how cooperative the insurance company is. Sure, there are some insurers who respond quickly and negotiate in good faith, but a lot of them take their time and start with lowball offers just hoping you’re desperate and uninformed enough to take them. Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. won’t settle for less than you deserve, and we know how to defend your interests and move things along.

The Settlement Process Explained

First, your lawyer sends a demand letter to the insurance company that outlines your injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

The insurer reviews your demand and responds with a counteroffer, which is usually low, so your attorney starts negotiating back and forth until both sides agree on a fair amount, but if the insurer won’t budge, then your lawyer files a lawsuit and moves into the discovery phase.

Discovery involves exchanging documents, taking depositions, and building your case, and that takes months. A lot of cases settle during or after mediation, which means a neutral third party helps both sides reach an agreement. Going to trial adds significant time, but most insurers will try to settle before the verdict.

How a Lawyer Can Help Speed Up the Process

Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney improves your settlement amount, and it also helps the process go faster. We investigate your accident right away so we can get the evidence before it disappears.

Plus, Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. takes care of communicating with the insurance company, so you don’t have to deal with their delay tactics and confusing paperwork they use to try to frustrate you. We act fast, provide complete documentation, and insist on reasonable deadlines.

Insurers know we don’t mess around; we’ll take your case to court if that’s what it takes. We work on contingency, so you don’t pay unless we win.

Get the Compensation You Deserve

Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. has represented slip and fall victims across Michigan for decades, and we understand premises liability law, insurance tactics, and how to prove negligence.

Plus, we keep you updated along the way and answer your questions in layman’s terms. We’ve got offices in Livonia and Flint, and give free consultations to clients across the state.

Contact us today for a free consultation with our Michigan premises liability attorneys, so we can review your slip and fall case, talk about your options, and get the ball rolling.

You can reach us by phone 24/7 at 1-866-MICH-LAW or online to schedule your free case eval. Remember, we work on contingency, so no fees until we win.

Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.