How Long does It Usually Take to Resolve a DUI Accident Case for Victims?

The length of a DUI accident case varies from person to person. Due to the different injuries and the level of negligence involved, there is no exact timeframe for a DUI accident case. However, certain factors can determine how long your case could take.

Our drunk driving accident lawyers in Phoenix at Zanes Law have over 20 years of experience holding drunk and high drivers accountable for their actions. Read on to learn about how long it usually takes to resolve a DUI accident case for victims based on common factors.

Factors that Affect the Length of a DUI Case in Arizona

Knowing the factors that can affect your case can give you an idea of how long your case could take. While several different factors determine the length of time your DUI accident case takes to finalize, the following are the most impactful:

Severity of Injuries

Cases involving very serious injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, or other life-altering conditions will take substantially longer to resolve than those with only minor injuries such as cuts and bruises. The reason is that the full extent of damages for serious injuries may not be understood for many months or even years as the patient undergoes extensive medical care and rehabilitation. 

Things like multiple surgeries, lengthy hospital stays, and ongoing physical therapy or in-home medical care will prolong the process of determining how much compensation is needed.

Police Investigation and Toxicology Report

Any delays or errors in the initial police investigation at the crash scene or subsequent forensic testing, like the toxicology report of the at-fault driver’s blood alcohol content and other drugs that are in their system. 

It can add significant time to the pre-trial discovery phase of resolving a DUI accident case. This is because additional investigation may be required if initial reports are incomplete or contain questionable findings. Both sides will want any deficiencies addressed before moving forward, which pushes the timeline back for establishing key facts around liability and intoxication levels. 

Request for Specialized Medical Evaluations

When the defense requests independent medical examinations, life care plans, or the involvement of professional and expert witnesses on complex medical issues, this greatly extends the time it takes to negotiate a settlement. Both parties want to fully assess these additional specialist opinions on the nature and extent of injuries as well as long-term treatment needs before placing a value on the claim. The evaluations themselves and subsequent analysis can delay resolution by many months.

Participation of Other Party

The level of cooperation exhibited by the at-fault driver’s insurance company is a major influence on case duration. Delay tactics like a slow response to document or data requests, denying reasonable settlement offers without justification, or having difficulty scheduling important meetings and depositions can seriously protract the pre-trial and settlement discussions. 

On the flip side, insurers who promptly and smoothly facilitate the process aid in a timelier resolution. Ultimately, how the defendant’s insurer engages greatly impacts case length beyond the plaintiff’s control.

For a free legal consultation, call 866-499-8989

What Expenses does a DUI Accident Settlement Cover?

The purpose of a personal injury settlement stemming from a drunk driving crash is to make the victim whole financially. Common types of expenses that a settlement aims to cover include:

• Past and future medical bills: This includes emergency response and ambulance transportation, hospitalization, surgeries, therapies, medications, and medical equipment.
• Lost wages: If the crash resulted in missed time from work or long-term disability preventing employment, you can recover the income you missed out on.
• Pain and suffering: No amount of money can undo suffering, but settlements aim to compensate for the physical and emotional hardships you endured.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: Activities you can no longer engage in due to crash-related injuries have monetary value.
• Property damage: If your vehicle or other property was destroyed in the crash, reimbursement is included.
• Long-term care: Victims with life-altering injuries may require ongoing in-home health services, modifications, and assistance.

If the driver that hit you was under the influence of drugs, our Phoenix driving under the influence of drugs lawyers can examine the report and account for any other damages you could recover, such as punitive damages.

Why You Should Hire Zanes Law After a Driver Under the Influence Hits You

After you’ve been in an accident due to a drunk or high driver, you need legal representation that’s going to fight for you, and that’s our team. Our founding attorney, Doug Zanes, founded the firm in tandem with his wife, Claudia, on a mission to help people to the best of their abilities. Our personal injury firm’s passion and our drive to win makes us the right firm for you. 

As a result, we have a 99% win rate across all practice areas of personal injury, including DUI accident cases. We’ve helped thousands of clients, and overall, as a firm, we’ve recovered over $500 million. 

A team that’s so successful is an asset to have on your Phoenix DUI case. Along with our passion for helping people and our drive to win, we treat every client like family. 

We’ve formed a law firm that gets results and treats our clients the way they deserve. We approach your case with compassion, experience, and knowledge. If you’re ready to get the results you deserve, you can schedule a free consultation with our attorneys.

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How to Keep Your DUI Accident Case Running Smoothly

As an injured victim of a DUI accident, there are steps you can take to help ensure your case proceeds without unnecessary delays. The steps you can take include:

• Provide timely responses to all communication: Return calls or emails from your attorney’s office promptly with any requested documentation or information.
• Fully disclose your medical history: Your Phoenix personal injury attorney needs a complete picture of any prior or ongoing conditions to evaluate the claim properly.
• Attend all medical appointments: Make your treatment and recovery the top priority so your care providers can fully document injuries and progress.
• Inform your attorney of any changes immediately: Notify us as soon as possible about additional medical testing, bills, lost wages, or other damages.
• Keep organized records: File all bills, test results, and pay stubs and have them easily accessible for your attorney when needed.
• Be available for meetings: Schedule time in advance for important discussions or sign documents to prevent holdups.

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Learn How Long It Usually Takes to Resolve a DUI Accident Case in Arizona

At Zanes Law, our personal injury attorneys in Phoenix are ready to help you recover compensation for the injuries and losses you’ve suffered after a DUI accident. We offer a free case consultation where we can tell you what damages you could recover.

Contact us to learn more about how long your DUI accident case will take to resolve.

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