After losing a loved one to someone else’s negligence, you can seek compensation through a wrongful death claim or lawsuit. Although you know that no amount of money can undo the harm and the absence caused by your loved one’s untimely death, you also know that financial support can help you focus more on grieving and less on bills. Many people also see a successful wrongful death claim as a means to reach a sense of closure or justice, which leads to the question: “How long does it take for a wrongful death case to end?”
There is no straightforward answer to this question, though. Differing factors from one wrongful death claim to the next can change how long it takes to reach an amicable conclusion. For some people, a wrongful death claim can resolve in a matter of months. For others, a wrongful death lawsuit might take several years before a jury verdict or settlement agreement is reached.
What Can Slow Down a Wrongful Death Case?
Why is it that some wrongful death cases can take months while others take years? This might seem unfair to the people who need to wait longer for a conclusion, but the differences are often unavoidable.
One of the main reasons why a wrongful death case will take longer to conclude is liability. If liability for your loved one’s death can be easily proven through tangible evidence and arguments, then the responding insurance company will have less incentive to try to fight your claim. Instead, they will focus on reaching a settlement amount sooner or later, which lets the company file the case away, save its public image, and move on.
Oppositely, if liability is not clear-cut, then you can expect a challenge from the insurance company. Adjusters and defense attorneys spend their entire careers trying to defeat claims and lawsuits to protect their employers’ bottom line. With every challenge, denial, or inquiry into your claim, more time gets added to its total timeline, especially if you have to go to court for litigation. The process of scheduling court dates in some counties is frustrating because the court often has many other cases to handle before yours. You might be ready to go to court today, but the court might be unable to even start a preliminary hearing until a few months or longer.
What Can Speed Up a Wrongful Death Case?
Unfortunately, there is no real way to “speed up” a wrongful death case and bring it to a conclusion faster. But there are ways you can help make certain that there are no unnecessary delays as your case progresses.
Coming prepared with a comprehensive case will keep you ready for any response or challenge from the opposition. Rather than wondering how to respond and losing time doing more research, you will be ready to send a return letter, for example. Not only will this help eliminate delays, but it can also serve to your advantage. Insurance companies don’t expect claimants to answer their inquiries and challenges quickly, so you can catch them off-guard by doing just that.
Of course, making a claim that is ready for anything is easier said than done. If you really want to streamline your wrongful death case process, then you will want to work with a local wrongful death attorney. With a lawyer leading the way, you can put them in charge of your case and each step as they come. Turn their experiences into your own by allowing them to represent you in and out of court.
Wrongful Death Attorneys Across the States
If you lost a loved one in North Dakota, Minnesota, or Montana, then Maring Williams Law Office would like to hear from you to see how we can help. Our wrongful death lawyers know you are going through so much having lost a loved one recently due to an accident or mistake. We will do what we can to properly manage your case and seek full compensation with as few delays as possible.
When you want to talk to us about your wrongful death case, please start by filling out an online contact form.