If you’ve been injured, it’s important that you act quickly to get the slip and fall compensation that you may be entitled to. Here, we’ll take a look at what you need to know about the timeline you can expect as you move through a slip and fall case.
Table of Contents
What’s a Slip and Fall Case?
A slip and fall is a legal term that describes an injury caused by someone falling on someone else’s property (this could be a grocery store, a restaurant, a sidewalk– anywhere that is considered private property). These cases are also sometimes referred to as Premise Liability Lawsuits.
If you’re thinking about filing a lawsuit for a slip and fall case, it makes sense to search for slip and fall case examples to see how your situation compares to similar suits.
How Much Do Slip and Fall Cases Pay?
As you decide whether to file a lawsuit, you’ll want to be sure that it’s worth the effort. The average settlement on a slip and fall case ranges from $25,000 to $50,000.
While some slip and fall compensation amounts are much higher, many injuries from these types of accidents are minor and result in a smaller compensation amount.
Slip and Fall Timeline
When you decide that you’re pursuing compensation for a slip and fall, your first step is to reach out to a lawyer to get the process started. Your lawyer will draw up a complaint or summons.
This will explain who the parties are, who you believe needs to take responsibility for the issue, and how you’d like to be compensated.
The complaint must be filed in court, and the party you’re suing must be served a summons informing them of the lawsuit. They’ll have a set amount of time to respond, usually 20 days.
Next, the defendant will either admit or deny the complaint and may work with a lawyer to try to lower their responsibility for the complaint. The defendant may agree to waive certain legal defenses in order to get an additional 20 days to respond to the complaint.
From there, you’ll work through the discovery phase with your lawyer. This process can take anywhere from a few months to a few years. Both parties work to find out as much information about the case as possible, allowing them to build a strong argument.
Parties may file pre-trial motions; such as a motion to dismiss the case, or a motion for summary judgment. Many parties try to resolve the problem without a trial, either through mediation or a settlement conference.
If the case does go to trial, it will be placed on a docket, and cases will be heard in the order they’re placed on the docket. Most slip and fall cases are concluded within three to five days of being heard by a judge.
If the judge rules in your favor, the defendant will likely have one to two months to provide you with compensation. Your lawyer may need to enforce collection.
Takeaways
- It can take years to go from an injury to getting compensation.
- You’ll move through the summons, discovery, pre-trial motion, potential mediation and potential trial process, depending on your case.
- At the end of your trial, it can take months to get your compensation.
Contact Us
If you’ve been injured due to a slip and fall, we’re here to help with lawsuit funding. We know that it can be tough to navigate next steps. We’ll work with you to determine whether you’re eligible for pre-settlement funding through our lawsuit loans.
We’ll help you move forward to help you get the low-interest pre-settlement funding you deserve. Reach out to Legal Bay today to learn more about our same day pre-settlement loans. One of our experienced representatives will reach out to you soon to chat about your case.
