How Long Will My Slip and Fall Case Take?
How long your slip and fall case will take depends on several factors. A slip and fall can settle in as fast as a few months, or it may take as long as a few years to settle. While there are things that you can do to move a slip and fall case along, there are also things outside of your control that may impact the timeline of a slip and fall case. Our Colorado slip and fall lawyers explain how long your slip and fall case will take.
How Long Does It Take a Slip and Fall Case to Settle in Colorado?
It takes several months to settle a slip and fall case in Colorado. Some slip and fall cases settle in two or three months. Other slip and fall cases take two or three years to settle. Most cases fall somewhere in between. How long it takes to settle a slip and fall in Colorado depends on the strength of the case, whether the parties dispute the amount of damages, and the ability of the defendant to pay the claim.
How Long Does It Usually Take to Settle a Slip and Fall Case?
How long it usually takes to settle a slip and fall case is anywhere from several months to several years. The typical amount of settlement time is approximately one year.
To settle a slip and fall case, you need time to thoroughly know your injuries, total your damages, and build the evidence to prove your legal right to compensation. In most cases, it takes about a year. However, how long it usually takes to settle a slip and fall case may be longer or shorter depending on the exact nature of the case.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Settlement From a Slip and Fall?
How long it takes to get a settlement from a slip and fall is several months to resolve the case plus additional time to collect payment. It takes time to receive medical treatment and value your case. You might settle your claim directly through negotiations, or you may need to take the case to court.
In most slip and fall cases, how long it takes to get a settlement is about a year. Working diligently on the case may prevent unnecessary delays. Your attorney can help you balance wanting a solution quickly and working on getting the maximum possible compensation.
Timeline of a Slip and Fall in Colorado
When it comes to the timeline of a slip and fall accident, several factors may impact the timeline of the case. Colorado has strong laws that favor accident victims. When you’re hurt in a slip and fall, you have a right to compensation based on Colorado’s laws. Because Colorado has strong laws that have developed over time, in most cases, the legal issues are clear.
Usually, pursuing a slip and fall case is a matter of applying the facts to the law and gathering the evidence to substantiate your claim. If there are unclear legal issues, it may make the case take longer while the courts examine and rule on legal issues. However, most slip and fall cases don’t involve complex legal issues that extend the case timeline.
Why Does It Take Time to Settle a Slip and Fall Case?
Even when factual issues are straightforward, all slip and fall cases take some time. To win the compensation that you deserve, you need to take several steps. First, you must prove that the defendant is legally responsible for the slip and fall. If the slip and fall occurs on their property, that’s a good start, but there are still strict legal requirements for a slip and fall claim depending on the circumstances. With witnesses, photographs, and physical evidence, you can prove that the slip and fall is the defendant’s legal fault.
Although it may seem tempting to want to move quickly through the case-building phase, it’s crucial to work thoroughly and methodically through the evidence-gathering process. Ultimately, when the defendant sees the strength of your case, and they know that you’re prepared to go to trial, they’re more likely to meet you at the table to offer a fair settlement. In addition, you need to thoroughly investigate the many categories of damages that may be available to you to ensure that you request a fair amount in damages.
Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure and Slip and Fall Cases
Another critical factor in the case timeline is the court’s rules and scheduling orders. When you file a slip and fall case, there are Colorado rules of civil procedure that create time limits to move the case along.[1]
For example, there is a set amount of time for how long the other side has to respond to your court filings. There are deadlines for filing court motions and responding to them. The court sets dates for things like completing the discovery process and filing preliminary motions. Part of the timeline for how long a slip and fall case takes depends on the court’s scheduling deadlines, hearings, and ultimately the schedule they set for trial.
Can You Make a Slip and Fall Case Faster?
Slip and fall victims often want to know what they can do to make their slip and fall cases go faster. In some ways, there are things that a client and their attorney can do to get to a settlement faster. For example, if you need a medical exam to build evidence, or if you need to provide documents to the other side during the discovery phase, you’re in control of how long these things take.
Delays can stretch out the entire case timeline. However, it’s important not to aim for a settlement so quickly that you miss out on steps that can increase the total value of your case.
Call Our Colorado Slip and Fall Attorneys
Your experienced Colorado slip and fall attorneys can help you find the right balance to maximize your compensation and ease the strain of the legal system. If you’ve been hurt in a slip and fall, the Colorado slip and fall attorneys at Bachus & Schanker, LLC, are prepared to help you fight for your legal rights. Call us today to talk about your case.
Sources
[1] The Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure For Courts of Record in Colorado. [PDF]. Retrieved 12 December 2019 from https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2018-court-rules.pdf.
