How long a personal injury case takes in Louisiana depends mostly on your injuries, the available insurance coverage, and whether a lawsuit becomes necessary. Many cases settle within several months, while cases that go to litigation can take a year or two, and sometimes longer.
At Loyd J Bourgeois Injury & Accident Lawyer (LJBLegal), a Louisiana personal injury law firm, we reviewed our own recent case data to give you real numbers. Car accident cases we settled without a lawsuit between October 2024 and October 2026 took a median of about 5 months from the time we started representing the client to the final settlement. Across all car accident cases we settled during that period, including those involving lawsuits, the median was about 6 months while premises liability cases took around 5 times longer.
Every case moves at its own pace. Medical treatment typically takes a few months, but serious injuries may require care for more than a year. About one in five of our closed car accident cases goes to litigation. Once a lawsuit is filed, that stage alone can take several months to more than a year, and roughly one in eleven litigated car accident cases spends more than two years in litigation before it’s resolved.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, you probably want to know when you’ll get your settlement money. You may have medical bills piling up, missed paychecks, and a family depending on you. Waiting months or years for a settlement can feel overwhelming.
Loyd and our team understand how difficult the waiting can be. Our goal is to move your case forward while making sure you don’t settle for less than your claim may be worth.
We’ll give you an honest sense of timing based on your situation and keep you informed as things change. To help you understand what to expect, we’re sharing actual settlement timelines from our firm’s car accident cases.
Key Takeaways
- Louisiana personal injury settlement timelines vary widely, and every case has its own timeline.
LJBLegal’s car accident cases that settled without a lawsuit between October 2024 and October 2026 took a median of about 5 months from the start of our representation, but that does not mean your case will settle in 5 months. Medical treatment, injury severity, insurance coverage, and the need for litigation can extend a case well beyond a year. The goal is to reach a fair settlement, not simply the fastest one.
- Most Louisiana car accident cases settle without a lawsuit, but cases that need one take longer.
About 30% of the car accident cases LJBLegal settled between October 2024 and October 2026 involved a filed lawsuit. Those cases took a median of about 14½ months from the start of our representation to settlement, compared with about 5 months for cases resolved through negotiation alone.
- Settling a Louisiana personal injury claim before understanding future medical costs can leave money on the table.
Accepting less than the available insurance policy limits before medical treatment is complete can leave you without enough compensation for future care. Once you sign a final settlement release, you generally cannot ask for more money if your injuries worsen. LJBLegal works to understand the full medical picture before recommending a settlement, while avoiding unnecessary litigation and delays.
How Long Does It Usually Take to Settle a Personal Injury Case in Louisiana?
A Louisiana personal injury case may settle in a few months when injuries are minor and fault is clear, but more complex cases can take a year or longer. At LJBLegal, the median time to settlement across all cases we resolved between October 2024 and October 2026 was about 6 months, including cases involving lawsuits.
Here’s what our actual case data shows:
| Stage or Type of Case | Median Timeline |
|---|---|
| Car accident cases settled without a lawsuit | 5 months to settlement |
| Car accident cases involving a filed lawsuit | 18½ months to settlement |
| Premises liability cases | 2½ years to settlement |
| Settlement to client receiving funds | 44 days |
Source: LJBLegal personal injury case data. Settlement figures reflect cases reaching final settlement between October 2024 and October 2026. Time to settlement is measured from the start of our representation, not necessarily the accident date. The 93-day treatment figure measures treatment after signing with our firm. The settlement-to-distribution period is measured separately. These are our firm’s historical results, not statewide averages or promises about future cases.
Every case moves at its own pace. Most of our clients’ cases resolve without a lawsuit, and medical treatment typically takes a few months. But some cases take much longer. When a client’s treatment is ongoing, injury-related medical care can last well beyond a year.
About one in five of our cases goes to litigation. Once a lawsuit is filed, that stage alone can take several months to more than a year. Roughly one in ten litigated cases spends more than two years in litigation before it’s resolved.
Among the cases that reached settlement during our October 2024 to October 2026 review period, around 30% of cases closed with a recovery involved a filed lawsuit.
For example, imagine you’re injured in a car accident in Metairie. The other driver admits fault, your injuries heal within a few months, and the insurance company has enough coverage to pay your claim. Your case may settle fairly quickly.
Now imagine you’re seriously injured in a crash in Luling. You need surgery, can’t return to work, and the insurance company argues over who caused the accident. Your case will likely take much longer.
But if your injuries are severe and the at-fault driver has very little insurance, the claim against that insurer could settle quickly if fault is clear and the insurer agrees to pay its full policy limits.
Premises liability cases, such as slip-and-fall claims, have run longer. In our recent cases, they took about 2¼ years from the start of our representation to settlement, and each one involved a lawsuit.
The severity of your injuries alone doesn’t determine how long your personal injury case will take. Available coverage, the strength of the evidence, and the insurer’s willingness to settle all matter.
We’ll give you an honest sense of timing based on your case, explain what’s affecting your timeline, and keep you updated as things change.
What Are the Steps in a Louisiana Personal Injury Case?
A Louisiana personal injury case typically involves medical treatment, accident investigation, settlement negotiations, and sometimes a lawsuit or trial. Even after a settlement agreement is reached, additional work may be needed before you receive your money.
Our firm’s data gives us a clearer picture of where the time goes and why some steps take longer than others.
How Long Does Medical Treatment and Recovery Take?
Medical treatment after a personal injury often takes several months, but serious injuries may require care for a year or longer. At LJBLegal, our car accident clients spent a median of about 3 months in the treatment phase of their case.
This figure measures treatment after we began representing the client. It does not necessarily include treatment received before hiring LJBLegal, so the total time a person spends recovering from an accident may be longer.
Some injuries, like minor fractures or soft tissue injuries, may heal within a few months. Others, including spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or serious orthopedic injuries, may require surgery, physical therapy, or long-term care.
Your doctor may eventually determine you’ve reached Maximum Medical Improvement, often called MMI. This means your condition has improved as much as your doctor reasonably expects, even if you still have pain or need additional care.
At LJBLegal, we generally wait until you’ve finished treatment or your doctors can give us a reliable picture of your future medical needs before sending a settlement demand.
Why does waiting matter? If you accept a settlement for less than the available insurance policy limits before your treatment is finished, you risk settling for too little. You may not know whether you’ll need more physical therapy, injections, surgery, or other medical care. Those future costs could be much greater than you expect.
For example, imagine you settle a back injury claim after two months of chiropractic treatment. You feel somewhat better, but your pain hasn’t completely gone away. A few months later, an MRI reveals a disc injury, and your doctor recommends injections or surgery.
If you already accepted a final settlement and signed a release, you generally cannot go back and ask for more money to cover those medical expenses. You could end up paying those future costs yourself.
However, there’s an important exception. If your injuries clearly exceed the at-fault driver’s available policy limits, LJBLegal may be able to pursue those limits before your treatment is complete.
For example, if your medical bills already exceed a $15,000 insurance policy, waiting another year may not increase what that insurer is obligated to pay under its policy. Still, we need to consider whether other coverage or responsible parties could provide additional compensation.
Our goal isn’t to wait longer than necessary. It’s to make sure you understand the full cost of your injuries before accepting a settlement that could leave money on the table.
How Long Does It Take to Investigate an Accident and Prepare a Settlement Demand?
Investigating a Louisiana personal injury claim and preparing a settlement demand can take several months, but much of this work happens while the client is still receiving medical treatment.
Our team works to gather the evidence needed to prove who caused your injuries and how the accident affected your life.
Depending on your case, we may:
- Review police reports and accident records.
- Gather photographs, videos, and witness statements.
- Obtain medical records and medical bills.
- Identify insurance policies and available policy limits.
- Document lost wages and other financial losses.
- Work with medical or accident experts when needed.
A strong personal injury claim requires more than showing you were hurt. We also need evidence connecting your injuries to the accident and showing the full impact on your health, work, and daily life.
Some steps take longer than others. For example, we may be waiting on medical records, bills, or a doctor’s opinion about future treatment. While waiting, our team can continue investigating the accident, reviewing insurance coverage, and preparing other parts of your claim.
Once we have enough information to evaluate your losses, we can prepare a settlement demand explaining why the insurance company should pay fair compensation.
How Long Do Personal Injury Settlement Negotiations Take?
Personal injury settlement negotiations may take a few weeks to several months, depending on the insurer’s response and the amount of compensation being requested. For LJBLegal car accident cases settled without a lawsuit, the median time from sending our demand to reaching a settlement was less than 2 months, with most taking anywhere from a few weeks to about 2½ months.
After receiving our demand, the insurance company reviews the claim and may make a settlement offer.
Sometimes the offer is reasonable. Other times, the insurance company offers far less than the case may be worth. The insurer may dispute your medical treatment, question the severity of your injuries, or argue you were partly responsible for the accident.
We understand why many clients are eager to accept the first settlement offer. You’ve been dealing with medical treatment, bills, and the stress of an injury claim. One of the reasons insurance companies drag things out is to make you feel desperate. When the insurance company finally puts money on the table, it’s tempting to take it and move on.
But accepting the first offer just to get your case over with can be a costly mistake. An initial offer may be much lower than what the insurer is ultimately willing to pay. Sometimes, a little more patience and a few rounds of negotiation can make a substantial difference in your final settlement.
At LJBLegal, we’ll keep you informed about settlement offers, explain what we believe is reasonable and fair, and make recommendations based on the evidence, your injuries, and the available insurance coverage. The decision to accept or reject an offer is always yours, but we want you to make that decision with all the information you need.
Negotiations may involve several rounds of offers and counteroffers before an agreement is reached. We don’t want to drag out your case unnecessarily, but we also don’t want you leaving money on the table simply because you’re tired of waiting.
If the insurer won’t make a fair offer, we’ll discuss whether continued negotiations or filing a lawsuit is the better next step.
You don’t necessarily need to file a lawsuit to receive a personal injury settlement. Most of the car accident cases our firm settled during the review period were resolved without one.
How Much Longer Does a Personal Injury Lawsuit Take?
Personal injury cases involving a lawsuit typically take longer than those settled through negotiations alone. At LJBLegal, car accident cases with a lawsuit filed had a median timeline of about 14½ months from the start of our representation to settlement, with most settling within approximately 1 to 2 years.
Among cases that reached a final settlement between October 2024 and October 2026, approximately 30% had a lawsuit filed.
Once a lawsuit is filed, litigation itself can take several months to more than a year. Roughly one in eleven litigated car accident cases spends more than two years in the litigation stage before reaching a resolution.
A lawsuit may become necessary if the insurance company denies responsibility, disputes your injuries, or refuses to make a fair settlement offer.
Once a lawsuit is filed, the case enters a formal process called discovery. Both sides may exchange documents, answer written questions, and take sworn testimony from witnesses.
Some cases also involve mediation, where a neutral person helps both sides try to reach an agreement.
Filing a lawsuit doesn’t automatically mean your case will go to trial. Settlement negotiations can continue throughout the legal process.
At LJBLegal, we prepare cases with the understanding that trial may be necessary. Insurance companies should know we’re willing to present the evidence in court when a fair settlement isn’t offered.
How Long Does a Personal Injury Trial Take in Louisiana?
A Louisiana personal injury case requiring a trial may take 1 to 3 years or longer from the start of the claim to its resolution. Court schedules, the number of witnesses, expert testimony, and the complexity of the case can all affect the timeline. Appeals may extend the process further.
Most injured people would rather settle than spend years in court. We understand. You want your medical bills addressed, your lost income considered, and your life back on track.
But some cases need a trial because the insurance company won’t agree to a fair amount.
Serious cases require careful preparation, resources, and a team willing to do the work. At LJBLegal, we’re prepared to bring in qualified experts when needed and build a case around the facts of your injuries.
We DO THE RIGHT THING
The correct choice – always – is to do the right thing.
FREE Confidential Case Review (985) 240-9773How Do Insurance Policy Limits Affect Personal Injury Settlement Timelines?
Insurance policy limits can have a major effect on how long a Louisiana personal injury case takes to settle. LJBLegal’s recent car crash case data shows that claims involving lower policy limits often settled much faster than those involving higher limits.
Here’s what we found:
| Insurance Policy Limits | Median Time to Settlement |
|---|---|
| $15,000 | About 4½ months |
| $25,000 | About 4½ months |
| $100,000 or more | About 13 months |
These figures reflect LJBLegal car accident cases settled with a recovery between October 2024 and October 2026. The groups may differ in injury severity, legal complexity, and how often a lawsuit was required. Higher policy limits do not automatically cause longer settlement times.
Can Low Insurance Policy Limits Help a Serious Injury Case Settle Faster?
A serious injury case may settle faster when the at-fault party has low insurance policy limits and the value of the injuries clearly exceeds the available coverage. In these situations, the insurance company may agree to pay its full limits without waiting for all medical treatment to finish.
For example, imagine you’re seriously injured in a Louisiana car accident. Your medical bills already exceed the at-fault driver’s $15,000 liability insurance policy limit.
If fault is clear and the insurer agrees to pay its full $15,000 limit, the claim against that insurer may settle within a few months, sometimes sooner.
Our firm’s results support this possibility. LJBLegal’s $15,000 policy cases settled in a median of approximately 5 months, while cases involving $25,000 policies settled in about 5½ months.
Now consider a different situation. The at-fault driver has a $500,000 policy, and you’ve suffered serious injuries requiring surgery and ongoing treatment.
The insurer may want more medical records and a clearer picture of future medical needs before discussing a large settlement. That case may require more investigation, negotiation, or litigation.
In our car accident data, cases involving $100,000 or more in coverage took a median of about 13 months to settle. More of these cases (59%) also required lawsuits.
A quicker settlement doesn’t always mean a less serious injury, and a longer case doesn’t necessarily mean something is going wrong. The available coverage, medical evidence, and amount in dispute all affect the process.
However, collecting the at-fault driver’s policy limits doesn’t always mean your entire personal injury case is finished. Other responsible parties, insurance policies, or uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may provide additional compensation.
At LJBLegal, we investigate available insurance coverage and review settlement terms before recommending an agreement. We want to make sure you’re not giving up important rights or other possible sources of recovery.
We ARE TRANSPARENT
We don’t play games and we don’t hide the ball.
FREE Confidential Case Review (985) 240-9773What Factors Can Make a Personal Injury Case Take Longer to Settle?
The biggest factors affecting a Louisiana personal injury settlement timeline include injury severity, disputed fault, available insurance coverage, and the insurance company’s willingness to negotiate. Cases involving multiple parties, ongoing treatment, or complex evidence may also take longer.
Does the Severity of Your Injury Affect How Long Your Case Takes?
Serious injuries often make personal injury cases take longer because doctors need more time to determine the full extent of the damage and any future treatment costs. However, severe injuries can sometimes support a faster policy-limits settlement when available insurance coverage is low.
For example, a broken bone that heals in a few months is different from a spinal injury requiring surgery or a traumatic brain injury affecting someone for years.
Long-term medical care, permanent disability, and future lost income may all need to be evaluated before a fair settlement can be reached.
Does Disputed Fault Delay a Personal Injury Settlement?
Disputes over who caused an accident can delay a personal injury settlement because more evidence may be needed to prove responsibility. If the other driver or insurance company denies fault, negotiations may stall or a lawsuit may become necessary.
Our team may need to obtain witness statements, review crash reports, examine photographs or video, and consult accident experts to help show what happened.
When fault is clear and supported by strong evidence, the settlement process may move faster.
Can Insurance Company Delays Make Your Personal Injury Case Take Longer?
Insurance company delays can add weeks or months to a personal injury case when adjusters dispute treatment, request more records, or fail to respond promptly to settlement demands.
Some insurers review claims promptly and make reasonable offers. Others challenge medical costs, question injuries, or delay negotiations.
At LJBLegal, we monitor the insurer’s response and follow up when necessary. If negotiations aren’t moving forward, we evaluate whether filing a lawsuit is needed to protect your rights and pursue fair compensation.
Do Accidents Involving Multiple Parties Take Longer to Settle?
Personal injury cases involving multiple drivers, businesses, or insurance companies often take longer because responsibility and available coverage may be disputed among several parties.
For example, a commercial truck crash may involve the truck driver, trucking company, vehicle owner, and multiple insurance policies.
Determining who is responsible and what coverage is available can require more investigation and negotiation than a simple two-car accident.
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Emotionally intelligent listeners with positive attitudes.
FREE Confidential Case Review (985) 240-9773Should You Accept a Quick Personal Injury Settlement?
You should only accept a quick personal injury settlement when you understand the extent of your injuries, the available insurance coverage, and the rights you’re giving up. Settling too early could leave you responsible for future medical bills or other losses not included in the agreement.
Let’s say you hurt your back in a car accident. A few weeks later, the insurance company offers money to settle your claim.
You’re still in pain, but bills are coming in, so you’re thinking about accepting.
Then, a few months later, your doctor recommends surgery.
If you already signed a final settlement release, you generally can’t reopen the claim to ask for more money to cover the surgery.
This is especially important if you’re considering settling for less than the available insurance policy limits. If you haven’t finished treating, you may not yet know the full cost of your injuries. A settlement that seems reasonable today could be far too low once you understand your future medical needs.
However, if the insurance company offers its full policy limits and your injuries clearly exceed the available coverage, settling that portion of your case sooner may make sense.
The key is understanding what claims may be released and whether other sources of compensation remain available.
Before accepting a personal injury settlement, it’s important to consider:
- Your current medical bills and expected future treatment.
- Your lost wages and possible future loss of income.
- Any lasting pain, disability, or physical limitations.
- The insurance policy limits available.
- Whether other insurance policies or responsible parties may provide compensation.
- Whether the settlement release affects other possible claims.
Even if you’ve finished medical treatment and know the full extent of your injuries, accepting the insurance company’s first offer may not be in your best interest. A little more time spent negotiating could make a meaningful difference in how much compensation you receive.
At LJBLegal, we don’t want cases dragging on longer than necessary. But we also don’t want clients accepting less simply because an insurance company is pressuring them to settle.
Our goal is to settle your case as quickly as the facts allow, not simply as quickly as the insurance company wants.
How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, most people injured in accidents occurring on or after July 1, 2024, generally have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. This legal deadline is called the prescriptive period.
Louisiana Civil Code Article 3493.1 establishes the general two-year filing period for covered personal injury claims. Accidents occurring before July 1, 2024, generally remain subject to the previous one-year deadline. Some claims follow different rules, so it’s important to confirm the deadline for your specific case.
But having two years to file a lawsuit doesn’t mean LJBLegal will always wait that long. We make that decision based on your injuries, the insurance company’s position, and what gives your case the best chance of a fair resolution.
Why Might LJBLegal File a Lawsuit Before the Two-Year Deadline?
LJBLegal may recommend filing a lawsuit well before the two-year deadline when it’s clear the insurance company is unlikely to settle your claim fairly.
For example, the insurance company may deny liability, meaning it refuses to accept that its insured caused the accident. Or it may dispute causation, meaning it claims your injuries weren’t caused by the accident.
If the evidence shows the insurer is unlikely to change its position, continuing to negotiate may only waste valuable time. Filing a lawsuit allows us to move the case forward through the legal process, obtain additional evidence, and begin preparing for a possible trial.
We don’t believe in waiting until the deadline approaches when we already know a lawsuit is likely necessary. Sometimes, filing sooner is the best way to keep your case moving.
Why Might LJBLegal Wait Before Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
LJBLegal may recommend waiting to file a lawsuit when there’s a reasonable opportunity to reach a fair settlement without going to court. Litigation involves additional expenses, more formal procedures, and often a longer timeline.
Filing a lawsuit can mean paying for depositions, expert witnesses, court costs, and other expenses needed to prepare your case. Those costs may ultimately reduce the amount of settlement money you take home.
The two-year filing period also gives us more time to understand your injuries. When appropriate, we may use that time to allow medical treatment to continue, gather records, and determine whether you’ll need surgery or future care.
This is especially important when the available insurance coverage is substantial. Settling before we understand the full extent of your injuries could mean accepting less than your case is worth.
When possible, we want to develop a complete medical picture, present a strong settlement demand, and give the insurer an opportunity to resolve the case without a lawsuit.
However, we won’t let negotiations put your legal deadline at risk. Negotiating with an insurance company does not automatically stop the two-year filing deadline. If the case cannot settle in time, we can file suit to protect your rights while continuing to pursue a resolution.
Our philosophy is simple: File a lawsuit when it’s necessary, not just because we can. But don’t wait when filing sooner is in your best interest. We want to pursue the full value of your case while avoiding unnecessary delays and expenses whenever possible.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Personal Injury Settlement Check in Louisiana?
Receiving your share of a Louisiana personal injury settlement can take several weeks or longer after an agreement is reached. At LJBLegal, the median time from settlement to distributing client funds was about 44 days, with most cases taking approximately 1 to 2¼ months.
We know that once your case settles, you’re ready to receive your money and put the process behind you. But reaching a settlement and receiving your funds are two different steps.
Even after the insurance company agrees to settle, we’re still working on your behalf. We must receive the settlement check, confirm outstanding medical bills and liens, and negotiate reductions when possible so you can keep more of your settlement.
Why Does It Take Time to Receive the Settlement Check?
After a personal injury settlement is finalized, the insurance company must process and send payment. Many applicable settlement payments are subject to a 30-day requirement under Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:1892, although the exact legal deadline depends on the type of claim, the settlement terms, and when the required documentation is received. Many insurers take advantage of the full 30 days to send the funds.
Even when the insurer sends payment promptly, our team must still receive, deposit, and wait for the check to clear before settlement funds can be distributed.
Why Are Medical Liens Still Being Finalized After Settlement?
Medical liens and reimbursement claims often need to be finalized after a personal injury settlement because the final amounts owed must be confirmed before settlement funds can be distributed.
For example, your health insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid, or a medical provider may have a right to reimbursement from your settlement, depending on the circumstances.
At LJBLegal, we don’t simply accept every amount requested. We review medical liens and reimbursement claims and work to negotiate reductions when possible.
Reducing what you owe can mean more of the settlement money stays in your pocket.
We’ve also recently experienced longer delays in receiving final lien information from certain lien reporting companies. Some of these companies have changed ownership, and we’re seeing some final lien responses take about twice as long as they did previously.
Unfortunately, we cannot distribute money needed to satisfy unresolved reimbursement obligations until those amounts are properly addressed. That can mean additional waiting even after we’ve received the settlement check.
We understand how frustrating it can be to hear that your case has settled but your money isn’t ready yet. While we can’t control how quickly every outside company responds, we continue following up and working to resolve outstanding amounts.
These steps aren’t about delaying your payment. They’re about making sure the right amounts are paid, protecting you from unresolved repayment claims, and helping you keep as much of your settlement as possible.
What Happens Before LJBLegal Distributes Your Settlement Money?
After your personal injury case settles, LJBLegal begins working to finalize your medical liens and negotiate reductions while we wait for the insurance company to send the settlement check. These steps happen at the same time whenever possible, helping us avoid unnecessary delays and get more of your settlement money into your hands.
Here’s what our team does after your case settles:
- Request the settlement check. We complete the necessary paperwork and follow up with the insurance company to make sure payment is being processed.
- Confirm and negotiate medical liens. While the insurance company processes your payment, we’re already working with medical providers, health insurers, and lien reporting companies to confirm final amounts owed and negotiate reductions whenever possible. Our goal is to help you keep more of your settlement.
- Finalize outstanding balances. We continue following up on any remaining liens or reimbursement claims. Some outside companies take longer to provide final figures, but we work to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.
- Prepare your settlement statement. As the final amounts are confirmed, we prepare an accounting of attorney fees, case expenses, medical payments, and the money you’ll receive.
- Distribute your funds. Once we’ve received the settlement check, the funds are available, and all required obligations have been addressed, we arrange payment of your portion.
Our firm’s median of 44 days reflects the entire period from reaching a settlement to distributing client funds, not just the time it takes the insurance company to send a check. Much of the work needed to finalize your settlement happens while we’re waiting for that payment.
We know you’re eager to receive your money, and we’re working toward that goal throughout the process. We want you to receive your settlement as soon as possible while also helping you keep as much of it as possible.
Can You Speed Up Your Personal Injury Case in Louisiana?
You may be able to help your Louisiana personal injury case move faster by getting prompt medical care, keeping records, responding to requests for information, and staying in touch with your legal team. However, rushing to settle before understanding your injuries can put your financial recovery at risk.
Here are a few steps you can take:
- Follow your medical treatment plan. Attend appointments and tell your doctors about ongoing symptoms.
- Keep important records. Save medical bills, receipts, records of missed work, and details about how your injuries affect daily life.
- Stay in contact with your legal team. Respond to requests for documents, updates, or information when possible.
- Tell us when your treatment changes. Let our team know about new doctors, planned surgery, completed treatment, or major changes in your condition.
- Let us review settlement offers. Avoid negotiating directly with the insurance company before understanding how an offer affects your claim.
- Don’t rush your recovery. Understanding your injuries and future needs is often more important than reaching the fastest possible settlement.
Our firm’s data shows many personal injury claims can resolve within several months. But every case has its own timeline, and we don’t believe in rushing a settlement simply to close a file.
Do You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer to Settle Your Case in Louisiana?
You don’t have to hire a lawyer to settle a personal injury case in Louisiana, but having experienced legal help can protect you from accepting less money than your claim may be worth. Insurance companies handle injury claims every day, while most injured people have little experience dealing with the settlement process.
If you’re like most of us, you’ve probably never hired a lawyer before. And that can be a little scary.
At LJBLegal, we understand.
Our job is to explain your options, answer your questions, and handle the legal work so you can focus on getting better.
Attorney Loyd Bourgeois and the LJBLegal team work to build strong cases through accident investigations, medical evidence, insurance coverage reviews, and careful preparation.
Some claims can settle quickly. Others require tough negotiations, expert opinions, and a willingness to go to court.
Either way, you deserve a team that takes your injury seriously and treats you like a person, not just another case number.
What Should You Do If Your Personal Injury Case Is Taking Too Long?
If your personal injury case is taking longer than expected, the first step is to find out what’s causing the delay. Ongoing medical treatment, disputed fault, missing records, insurance negotiations, court schedules, and medical lien processing can all affect how quickly your case moves forward.
You may be wondering why the insurance company hasn’t made an offer, whether your case is moving forward, or how much longer you’ll have to wait.
Those are fair questions, and you deserve clear answers.
At LJBLegal, we believe our clients should understand what’s happening with their cases and what comes next.
Our clients have access to an online portal where they can check case updates, communicate with our team, and stay informed throughout the process.
Our case data also provides useful context. A case taking five months may be moving right along, while another case taking a year or more may be following a reasonable timeline because of the injuries, insurance coverage, or need for litigation.
A longer timeline doesn’t necessarily mean your legal team isn’t making progress. But you should always be able to ask what work is being done, what’s holding up your case, and what comes next.
We’ll give you an honest sense of timing based on your individual circumstances and keep you updated as things change.
How Can LJBLegal Help With Your Louisiana Personal Injury Case?
LJBLegal helps injured people across Louisiana investigate accidents, identify available insurance coverage, negotiate settlements, and prepare cases for trial when necessary. Our goal is to help you understand your options while pursuing fair compensation for your injuries.
Our actual case results show that many personal injury claims can settle in a matter of months, while others need more time to pursue the compensation supported by the evidence.
We believe you should know what’s happening with your case, why certain steps take time, and what our team is doing to keep things moving.
We know you’re worried about your health, your family, and your financial future. We also know how important it is to feel heard and kept informed throughout your case.
If you’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence, contact LJBLegal today or call 985-240-9773.
We’ll listen to your story, answer your questions, and help you understand what comes next.
You may not need a lawsuit. But if the insurance company refuses to be fair, you want a team ready to fight for you.
About our settlement data: The settlement figures in this article are based on LJBLegal car accident cases that reached final settlement with a recovery between October 2024 and October 2026. Time to settlement is measured from the start of our representation to the final settlement agreement, not from the accident date. The treatment figure reflects time in the treatment phase after signing with our firm, not the client’s total treatment time following the accident. Settlement-to-distribution time is measured from the final settlement agreement to the date client funds were disbursed. Open cases are not included. These are historical results from our firm, not statewide averages or promises of future outcomes. Every case is different.
