When most of us think of summer we think of the beach, barbecues and vacations. It’s a time to spend with family and friends taking it easy and enjoying the nice weather. So how does this effect your personal injury case?
The people in the legal profession are no different than everyone else. Many lawyers and judges take vacation time in the summer. As an attorney practicing law on Long Island in both Suffolk County and Nassau County Courts, I’ve noticed that the summer is a particularly slow time. You never have a hard time parking at the Courthouse in July and August. The hallways are empty. The courts’ calendars are always light. You can forget about getting a trial date, especially in August. I’ve learned a long time ago that the surest way to get on a judge’s bad side is to ask for an August trial date. In fact, most judges take the entire month of August off.
The insurance industry is no different. Most adjusters take nice long vacations in the summer. This means that they’re not available to review cases or discuss settlements.
All this vacationing takes its toll on the amount of cases that settle in the summer. Obviously, cases can’t settle by themselves. So I’ve learned from experience not to expect resolve to many cases in the summer.
But that doesn’t mean that the summer can’t be a productive time for us. Since we’re not in court as much as other times of the year, we double down on our preparation, investigation and research. The summer is a great time to get things done, so when the fall comes, cases are prepped for trial and/or settlement.
We understand that if you’ve been injured it’s hard to enjoy the summer. Instead of vacations and day trips to the beach, you’re spending your days indoors or at the physical therapist’s or doctor’s office. But rest assured that we’re hard at work building your case and if possible working towards settling it. But if it happens that the insurance adjuster or judge on your case is on vacation, don’t worry too much. We’re here working and will be ready to go to trial or discuss settlement when they return.
Finally, keep in mind that the fall is right around the corner. And unlike the summer, it’s the busiest time of year to settle cases.
Author: Steven Palermo, Esq.