Answer: This answers depends almost entirely on a client’s injuries and how long it takes the client to get better. It is my experience that in the typical accident, the medical treatment for most clients takes two to four months to complete, with a settlement demand being sent out four to eight weeks after that. (Obviously, the worse a person is injured, the longer treatment can be expected to take and recuperation to occur. In serious injury cases, treatment can continue for one to two years or perhaps will never be totally complete.)
The worse thing an attorney can do is settle a case too soon. It is bad because once you settle your case, it is forever closed. If your injuries have not all resolved and you find out you really needed a surgery after your case has settled, you are simply out of luck. That is why it is critical not to settle a case too soon. There are some attorneys (sometimes the ones who advertise a lot on TV) who are more interested in cash flow and settling cases as soon as possible regardless of whether their client has fully recovered from their injuries from the accident. This is not a good place to be if you are the client. This is why my highest priority is to make sure my client’s medical condition is known and stable before ever trying to settle the case.