How Long Does It Take to Receive Compensation?

If you’re considering making a claim, one of the many questions you may have is 'how long does a personal injury claim take?' It varies from case to case and depends on a number of factors.

However, with every claim, there is a specific sequence of events that must be conducted to reach a legal conclusion.

We can conduct a range of non-fault claims, from accidents involving vehicles to serious injury claims, accidents in the workplace, beauty treatment claims, accidents on unsafe surfaces, and accidents on planes or boats, to name just a few.

How does the claims process work with personal injury solicitors?

Once you have contacted our dedicated team of advisors following a non-fault accident, they will begin processing your claim by taking relevant details and gathering any supporting evidence that will help prove the other side’s liability.

Then Winns will contact the third-party’s insurer to negotiate liability. Co-ordinating with relevant agencies to arrange and deliver treatment of injuries, delivery of a hire vehicle, and any vehicle repair should they be required, Winns will progress all aspects of your claim to the next stage; negotiation.

Once negotiations over a settlement begin, they will either be settled out of court or if an agreement cannot be reached, there may be a court hearing before a resolution is achieved.

How long do you have to make a claim?

From the date of the accident, you have three years to submit a claim for personal injury compensation. There are variations on this depending on circumstances, including if:

• It’s a claim on behalf of a deceased person. In these circumstances, you have three years from the date of death, on condition that the original statutory limit of three years from the date of the accident hasn’t passed when the deceased was alive.
• You are under 18 at the time of the accident. Then the three-year limit starts from the date of your 18th birthday. Alternatively, a parent or litigation friend can conduct your claim on your behalf, but this must be done within three years of the accident occurring.
• You are legally classified as lacking mental capacity to conduct a claim independently.

What can affect the length of the claims process?

There are a number of factors that can affect how long a claim takes to complete. There is a defined chain of events that must be followed by law, but there are other areas which may delay matters.

The type of accident – A road traffic accident between two private cars with clear and obvious liability will be a more straightforward claim for compensation as opposed to one which involves multiple parties.

The nature of your injuries – If you have sustained injuries that are straightforward to recover from and involve limited treatment input, then this will have little impact on the length of time your claim takes to complete. However, if you have suffered complex injuries that require long-term treatment and have a life-changing impact on your future, then multiple agencies will need to be engaged in the process to put in place the future care package you may need. This will, inevitably, extend the time it takes to reach a conclusion.

Has liability been accepted? – If liability is accepted from the outset, then the progress of the claim should be relatively straightforward, resulting in a more standardised turnaround time. However, if the third-party insurer wishes to contest liability then there will be need for further evidence gathering and the presentation of a convincing argument which may need to be heard in court should no resolution be agreed before that point.

How long will it take to receive compensation?

Once a decision has been agreed between both sides, following negotiation with our teams, our personal injury solicitors, and the other side, compensation can take a few days or up to a few weeks to be with the client. The third-party insurer dictates this as they are the ones who need to transfer the funds. 

How can I speed up the process?

By providing as much evidence as possible after the initial accident to our teams and personal injury solicitors, this will speed up the claims process. Providing an account of the event and any witness details, as well as taking pictures and/or videos of the site of the accident will help. By submitting these and responding promptly to your file handler, this will limit delays and allow the process to progress.

Why should you choose Winns?

Winns has a dedicated and experienced team of legal advisors who can support you throughout your claim. Winns has helped thousands of people get the compensation they deserved and is able to deal with all aspects of your claim, including vehicle repair, hire and arrangement of medical treatment. This allows you to focus on the important part; recovering from your injuries and getting your life back on track.

How do I start a claim?

You can contact our team 24 hours a day, seven days a week via our claim line. Alternatively, you can start the process by discussing your circumstances with our Live Chat team from any page on our website (available 7am - 7pm seven days a week), or you can request a call-back at a time to suit you (requests are dealt with during the same hours as Live Chat).

Either way, our team is here to help when you need us most.

For more information on making a personal injury claim, click here.

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