Ways To Get Your Personal Injury Payout Fast

A personal injury payout can sometimes take weeks or even months before it is actually delivered to the recipient; an award is no guarantee of fast payment. There are ways, though, to increase the speed with which the payout is delivered to you.

Get It in Writing

Whether the settlement amount is awarded by a jury or judge or agreed upon after negotiations, the best way to get your payout fast is to set date by which it must be delivered and include that date in the court order or settlement contract. Having a timeline agreed to and signed by the paying party is the best assurance of receiving your check as fast as possible because if payment is not received they are in violation of the settlement contract or court order.

Most likely, you will not be able to set this date any closer than a month in the future because of the company’s need to process the paperwork and draw up a check; chances are, though, that it won’t take more than two weeks before your check is delivered.

Make Your Attorney’s Fees Contingent on Receiving Payment

Another tool you have in your arsenal to use to speed up the timeframe to receive your personal injury payout is your attorney. Most personal injury attorneys work on contingency, meaning that they are not paid a dime until you receive payment. When contracting with an attorney for representation, make sure that the contract states that the attorney will only be paid when payment is actually received and not after it is awarded. This will ensure that your attorney will work to get you the payment as fast as possible.

If you have already signed your contract and it did not include a similar clause, notify your attorney that you are unable to pay him until you receive the payment check. This will have the same effect as the clause because the attorney will be on notice that he will not receive payment until you do.

Settle For a Reasonable Amount and Behave Rationally

It may seem backwards that settling for a reasonable amount increases your chances for receiving a fast payout. The more reasonable the amount of the settlement you demand, the better the chance it is that the insurance company or other party will have the funds readily on hand.

Similarly, behaving calmly and rationally throughout the claims process increases your chances for a faster payout. This is because you will not have behaved in a way that has created frustration or anger in the other party. Friendliness between parties makes it likely that your check will be immediately processed.

Getting Legal Assistance

Being awarded a payout for a personal injury is not the end of the line in litigation. Not until you have received a check and paid your attorney is your case truly at an end. Speak with an attorney about safeguards that can be employed to assist you in receiving a fast payout.

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