What are some of the common reasons a case may be delayed?

In our last article ‘How long does it take to make a compensation claim for my injuries from a car accident?’ we explained that most cases settle between 12-15 months. However, we usually ask our clients to expect a 12-18 months’ timeframe because delays are quite common.

Every person and even every case is different – just ask some of our clients who have unfortunately been in more than one accident! But some of the most common reasons of delays include:

• You may need longer than 6-8 months of treatment to reach maximum improvement. It could be because of your age, or your injuries are more severe or complex than the average. In most cases, we do not recommend that you settle your claim while your recovery is still ongoing, because it is difficult to get a good picture of the long term effects of your injuries.
• You experience a significant event in your life that result in us needing to have time to gather evidence for you. These could include but are not limited to:
  • Another accident (that is seriously unlucky, but yes we have seen cases like that!)
  • A change of employment circumstance or direction of education
  • You go on parental leave
  • Uncertainties with your visa status and right to remain in Australia etc.

Sometimes there are other delays out of your or our control. These could include:

• Lengthy response time from Queensland Police
• Your treatment provider takes a very long time to release your medical records to us
• Long appointment waitlist or turnaround time of the appropriate medico-legal specialists
• Your injuries are complex and you need to see many medico-legal specialists for different types of injuries
• Difficulties securing availability of insurer and barrister (if needed) for settlement conference
• Christmas or other holiday closures affecting our office, medical clinics, and the insurer.

We always work hard to make sure your claim progresses promptly. We would also appreciate your support by providing the information and documents we request from you promptly!

Whatever is causing the delay, our team has the experience to manage complex and evolving claims and keep your case on track.

See How We Handle Complex Claims

If your claim has stalled or is taking longer than expected, our specialists are available to step in and help move things forward.

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