How does personal injury litigation work?

Personal injury litigation follows a structured process. First, your attorney files a complaint stating your claims. The defendant responds, and both sides enter discovery, exchanging evidence, taking depositions, and gathering information. Pre-trial motions may address legal issues before trial. Many courts require mediation, where a neutral third party helps negotiate settlement. If mediation fails, the case goes to trial, where both sides present evidence to a judge or jury. The process typically takes 12-24 months or longer. Catastrophic injury litigation is often more complex and may take longer. These cases require more extensive discovery, more expert witnesses, and more thorough preparation to prove lifetime damages. At Kane Trial Law, we prepare every case for trial from the beginning, which is why we achieve strong results whether a case settles or goes to verdict.