Learn How Long Compensation Takes To Come Through

If you have suffered an injury in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim. If you make a successful claim, you could be awarded compensation for your injuries and the financial losses they have caused you. This will be awarded under general damages and special damages, respectively. However, if you have a successful case, you may wonder, ‘How long does compensation take to come through?’

Within this guide, we look at factors which could affect how long it takes for personal injury compensation to come through and whether you could receive an interim payment while you wait for your final settlement. Additionally, we also look at how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you with claiming a compensation settlement.

Get in touch with an advisor today to discuss your case and to get further answers to questions such as how long the limitation period for personal injury claims is. You can contact our friendly team via any of the following methods:

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How Long Does Compensation Take To Come Through?

If you make a successful personal injury claim, you will be awarded a compensation payout. How much compensation you will be awarded will depend on what injuries you suffered, how they have impacted you and if you have suffered any financial losses.

However, you may be wondering, ‘How long does compensation take to come through?’. Following a claim that settles in your favour, it could generally take between two to four weeks for you to receive your compensation settlement. Whether your claim is settled in our out of court will also affect the deadline for this payment.

To see whether you may have a valid personal injury compensation claim you can contact our advisors. They may also connect you with a solicitor from our panel who could help you with claiming compensation.

How Long Does A Personal Injury Claim Take To Settle?

In addition to wondering how long does compensation take to come through, you may also be asking ‘How long does a personal injury claim take to settle?’.

There is no specific time frame in which a claim will settle. Generally, straightforward cases could take around 3 months to settle, with more complicated cases taking 12+ months. However, these are not guaranteed, as the unique factors of each case will affect how long it could take to settle.

Some factors that could affect how long your claim takes include:

  • Whether you suffer a minor or serious injury.
  • The type of accident in which you were injured. For example, a road traffic accident involving multiple vehicles and which left you with multiple injuries may take longer to settle than a simple rear-end shunt.
  • How long it takes to gather supporting evidence. In order to make a successful compensation claim you need to secure sufficient evidence to show the cause of the accident, who was liable, and medical evidence of your injuries.
  • How the other party responds to your claim. Do they dispute their liability?
  • How long your recovery is expected to take could impact how long your claim takes.

If you decide to work with one, a solicitor can help guide you through the claiming process to help it be settled as smooth;y and quickly as possible.

How Long Will It Take To Receive Criminal Injuries Compensation?

If your injuries were caused by a violent crime, such as an assault or abuse, your claim may be made through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This is a government agency which can compensate victims of crimes of violence in Great Britain and administers the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012. This Scheme is also used to assign compensation to your injuries by using the fixed tariff within it.

The CICA aim to asses the majority of criminal injury compensation claims made through them within 12 months. However, more complicated cases could take longer. If your claim is successful and you accept the compensation payment they offer you, they aim to pay this directly into your or your representative’s bank account within 20 working days.

Contact one of our advisory members to see whether you may be able to make a criminal injury claim through the CICA.

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Why Can Personal Injury Claims Take A Long Time?

Now that we have answered “How long does compensation take to come through?” we should also assess why some personal injury claims may take longer to settle than others.

Some factors that could mean your personal injury claim takes longer to settle include:

  • Cases involving complex injuries. If you have been involved in a severe accident, such as a serious road traffic accident, you could have sustained complex injuries. If you suffered multiple different injuries or those which are more complex, it may take longer to assess the full impact of them.
  • Identifying the defendant. Cases where it is easy to see who is at fault and who the claim should be made against may progress quicker than those where it is harder to identify the defendant. Cases involving a hit and run accident could take longer to pursue, for example.
  • If the defendant accepts liability. If the other party does not accept any liability for your injuries or if they take longer to do so, the claims process may take longer. In some cases where a defendant does not accept liability, your claim may need to go to court. This means it will take longer to settle.

A personal injury solicitor from our panel could help guide you through this claiming process, regardless of how long it takes to settle. To see if you could be eligible to work with one of them, you can contact our advisors today.

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Can I Receive Interim Payments If My Claim Is Taking Too Long?

Under the Civil Procedure Rules, claimants may be awarded an interim payment before their claim is settled. An interim payment may be made to a claimant prior to the completion of a claim where:

  • The defendant does accept liability for the harm caused.
  • A court has been shown that the defendant is liable.
  • The defendant will settle a compensation claim without admitting any liability.

The purpose of an interim payment is to meet the serious or urgent financial needs of a claimant. They may be made where a final settlement has not yet been agreed upon, but where the claimant needs to meet urgent expenses, such as care or medical costs. An interim payment may also cover the cost of care in the home which is immediately necessary.

Per the Civil Procedure Rule 25.7 (2), there is certain evidence you must present to receive this payment. This evidence must reflect the following:

  • How much you’re seeking.
  • What you’re seeking it for.
  • How much your overall compensation settlement is likely to be.
  • Any details of losses or expenses you’ve experienced.

Please talk to an expert to see if you could be eligible to seek compensation and secure an interim payment for your case.

Can I Make A No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claim?

If you were injured in an accident that was not your fault and you have a valid personal injury claim, a solicitor working on our panel could help you with claiming compensation.

Our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors offer their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement. When working with a solicitor under this agreement, you will not need to pay for their services upfront or during your claim. Additionally, you will not need to pay them for their completed work should the claim fail.

However, should the claim succeed, they will be due a success fee from you. This fee will be taken from the compensation awarded to you as a percentage that is limited by the law.

Contact our advisors today to see whether one of the solicitors on our panel could help you. They can also help answer any questions you may have, such as ‘How long does compensation take to come through?’.

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Learn More About Claiming Personal Injury Compensation

In our guides below, you can learn more about personal injury claims.

External resources:

  • You can learn more about damages that could be awarded in part 41 of the Civil Procedure Rules.
  • You can read more about the pre-action protocol that must be followed for all personal injury claims from the Ministry of Justice.
  • Learn how to access of a copy of your medical records from the NHS.

Hopefully, we have now answered ‘How long does compensation take to come through?’ for you. If you have any other questions regarding the personal injury claims process, you can contact our advisors.