Some people have been involved in a personal injury accident and been through the process that follows. Many though have not been through this experience before. If you recently experienced an injury caused by negligence, here are some things to know about Massachusetts personal injury cases.

First, these cases can take a long time to settle. Frequently, these cases take many months, to even a few years to settle. For cases that are filed in court, the time horizon is much longer than for cases that remain at the claims stage. Simple car accident cases such as routine rear-end accidents can resolve in 6 months after the accident, while more complicated cases such as wrongful death cases can take years to resolve.

Second, your case may not be worth as much as you think. Massachusetts juries tend to award very low verdicts. This in turn drives down the settlement value of cases. Unless you have very serious injuries, your case may not have the type of settlement value you may be expecting. Soft tissue strain and sprain car accident cases typically settle for modest money. However, if you have a case dealing with serious injuries requiring surgery, or you suffered catastrophic injuries, your case likely will command substantial settlement money.

Third, these claims are paid by insurance companies, rather than the person they injured you. For example, if you slip and fall, you would file a claim against the property owner, but it is the property owner’s insurance company that will be paying you the settlement. Similarly, if you are struck while riding your bicycle by a car, the car driver’s insurance company will be the one paying out the settlement.