You might be surprised to learn that the vast majority of personal injury cases settle before going to trial. In fact if we look at the stats, approximately:
99% of motor vehicle accident claims settle before going to trial; and
98% of workplace injury claims settle without going to court.
But why is this?
The answer lies in the processes which are now in place to streamline the different personal injury claims that exist in Queensland.
Each area of law whether it be motor vehicle accident, WorkCover, public liability or medical negligence have a set of pre-court procedures which require the parties to obtain all evidence concerning the circumstances of the accident, the injuries suffered by the person and the damages caused at an early stage in the proceeding. The parties then must meet for a compulsory settlement conference to try to resolve the claim prior to there being any entitlement on the part of the injured person to commence a court proceeding.
These processes have been put in place to assist in the efficient management of claims with the aim both to reduce costs and the time involved to resolve matters.
It is only those matters which are not able to be resolved by the parties which then proceed into court litigation and may end up proceeding to trial if the parties are not able to come to a settlement agreement before that occurs. However, in the vast majority of cases agreement is reached without a court hearing being necessary.
Claims may take anywhere between nine to 18 months to reach a resolution. Some claims take longer. This can depend on the injuries suffered and how long those injuries take to stabilise.
It is important not to settle your claim too early and without advice. All necessary evidence must be obtained to guarantee the best possible result.
Crew Legal are committed to ensuring injured people receive the best advice, the best outcomes and do so at a fair price. If you would like to book in a FREE initial consultation to discuss your personal injury, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.
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