Before getting into this article, it is very important that you understand that there are far too many variable factors at play here for the exact timeframe to be estimated accurately without even knowing the details of any particular case. These are only average approximations based on the general proceedings and they are to be taken as such. Nevertheless, the time estimations are fairly dependable under normal circumstances and they should mentally prepare you for what’s to come once you hire your injury lawyer and file your lawsuit.

Road Accident Claims

Road accident claims can be made when you are involved in an accident that caused you injury, in spite of the accident not being your fault. The party responsible can be any of the following.

• Driver of the vehicle that you were riding in
• Driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident
• Your employer under certain circumstances, if you were on duty
• The local authorities in charge of road maintenance, if that was the cause of the accident

Depending on the defendant in question, the nature of the accident and the compensation amount, a road accident claim can take four to nine months to settle.

Industrial Disease Claim

If you are an unfortunate victim of an industrial disease, which happened as a direct or indirect result of unsafe working conditions provided by your employer, most law firms will be more than happy to take your case because not only do you deserve a compensation; you are actually quite likely to get one as well. In fact, if you have sufficient proof to establish causation, your employers will probably try to settle the matter outside court as soon as possible. However, you should be prepared for the fact that if it does go to court, the case can take anything between a year to 18 months before being settled. Some of the common types of industrial disease claims are as follows.

• Asbestos Exposure leading to asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer among other complications
• Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome or HAVS and Whole-Body Vibration or WBV, which could lead to working disability
• Industrial dermatitis arising from exposure to harmful industrial chemicals
• Noise-induced hearing loss and acoustic shock

Workplace Accident Claim

If the accident at your workplace was caused due to the employer providing an unsafe environment for you to work in without the necessary safety gear, you are eligible for a workplace-related accident claim in the form of medical and financial compensation. A point to be noted is that if you are still looking for a personal injury solicitor to provide you with legal counsel and represent you in such cases, it is recommended that you go with an experienced firm like Roper James Solicitors, who specialise in handling personal injury claims that originated from the workplace. These Plymouth based personal injury solicitors have experience and specialisation in the field that might help you settle much faster (6-9 months are usually enough, even when the defendant goes to trial), whether you have to go to trial or not.

Common examples of accidents at the workplace that qualify for a claim include the following.

• Falling or slipping
• Accidents at a construction site
• Accidents at a factory
• Injury received during manual labour
• Repetitive strain injury
• Any other office place or machine-related injuries

Slip, Trip and Fall Injuries Claims

While some of these claims are often part of a workplace-related injury claim, they are not limited to work only. For example, if you slip on a wet floor and hurt yourself, but you cannot find a “wet floor” sign or any kind of warning whatsoever, it’s time to start looking into solicitors for filing your lawsuit against the owner or the person in charge of floor maintenance, irrespective of whether it’s your office, a public place, or even someone else’s property. The same goes for tripping or falling due to the incompetence of someone else. These claims are usually settled under a year and sometimes even under just six months.

Medical Negligence Claims

Little else is more tragic than to go to a hospital for help, only to find out later that they have misguided or harmed you by offering treatment that was below the minimum expected levels of professional medical standards in the UK. Medical negligence claims are, unfortunately, one of the most common personal injury claims that injury lawyers deal with on a regular basis and they can take anywhere between 18 months to three years before coming to a settlement.

Check out the common types of clinical negligence claims which are generally filed for:

• Surgical injury or neglect
• Misdiagnosis and subsequent mistreatment
• Injury during labour or birth injury
• Dental negligence
• Cosmetic surgery related negligence
• Anaesthetic awareness
• Prescription drug-related complications
• Infections acquired in an unhygienic hospital

The justice committee is still in discussion about bringing reformative measures to the country’s personal injury claims system, but until such time as the proposals go through and subsequent changes are made, things are going to stay pretty much the same as they have for years. Therefore, in spite of all the variables in any given case, what you just read can be treated as a rough estimation guide regarding how much time it would take for your personal injury claim to go through.