Blog

Pardon my borrowing and modifying the term "speedy trial" from the world of criminal law, but I thought it would be a catchy title for an entry really about personal injury law involving motor vehicle (car accidents, motorcycle accidents, etc.)accidents, products liability, and wrongful death law!

Historically in most jurisdictions around the country civil cases are famous for dragging out at a snails pace. It is not uncommon for cases to last many years from the date of first filing a personal injury lawsuit. Around 1987, if memory serves correct, San Diego courts began a program known as "fast track" wherein a typical civil case would be given a trial date within 1 year of the filing of the lawsuit. Despite numerous teething problems, mostly from lawyers not used to moving their cases along this quickly, the program has been quite successful. Generally speaking, routine cases..ie non-complex..will be settled or go to trial within 1 year of filing the lawsuit. Many other jurisdictions over the years, both within and outside of California, have also adopted some form of system for getting cases resolved more expeditiously.

Personal injury cases no longer languish for years awaiting dates. Disputes are now resolved quickly. With trial dates looming quickly, attorneys generally do their best to attempt to resolve cases through means other than trials, such as mediation and arbitration.

Personal injury victims typically incur significant medical care and medical bills as well as lost income, pain and suffering and emotional distress. The period of time between the accident and case resolution is one which ordinarily puts tremendous economic strain on the personal injury victim. In my lengthy experience as a San Diego personal injury attorney, "fast-track" has enabled my personal injury clients to get a reasonably quick resolution of their case...in other words, the fast-track system for moving cases quickly toward a trial date has greatly assisted personal injury victims in securing quicker compensation for their injuries..and the quicker accident victims are compensated for their injuries the quicker they can begin the process of returning to their pre-accident lives.