It’s normal to wonder how long it’ll take to get compensation after you’ve filed a car accident claim. After all, you’re relying on the money you’re awarded to cover the costs of your medical care, offset the complications of lost wages, and help you cope with more difficult-to-value pain and suffering.
While several procedural guidelines can influence the claims process, there’s no set timeframe in which your car accident claim must be resolved. Depending on the facts of your case, the insurance company’s willingness to negotiate, and other factors, you could settle in a few weeks, a matter of months, or longer if your claim goes to trial.
It’s important to know what factors might influence your timeline for recovery and what you can potentially do to accelerate the claims process.
What Factors Can Affect My Car Accident Settlement Timeline?
While every case is different, these things can all affect how long it takes to settle a claim.
How Serious Are Your Physical Injuries?
It’s important to assess your physical injuries before you agree to accept the insurance company’s settlement offer. Between medical bills, lost wages, and out-of-pocket expenses, the extent of your injuries will have a massive impact on the value of your claim. You only have one opportunity to recover a settlement. Once you accept a deal, you waive the right to seek additional compensation in the future.
So, if you agree to settle before the full extent of your injuries and required medical treatment are known, you risk accepting less compensation that you’ll need to cover your costs. So, it can be essential to hold off on negotiating and finalizing a settlement until you understand what the full extent of your damages will likely be.
While this might extend the amount of time it takes for you to recover compensation, it can ensure that your award accurately reflects your losses.
Is Liability Being Challenged?
Even though you may have the right to recover compensation, expect pushback when the insurance company reviews your claim. If you file a claim with a third party’s insurer, the adjuster might not accept that their policyholder is at fault. They might argue that there’s not enough evidence to demonstrate liability or argue that someone else is responsible for causing your car accident.
They might even blame you. Depending on where you live, claims of contributory negligence can limit or potentially prevent a financial recovery.
Understandably, disputes over liability can prevent a claim from moving forward. The more time it takes to establish liability, the longer it can take for a settlement to be reached.
Has the Insurance Company Handled Your Claim in Good Faith?
Insurance companies have a legal obligation to handle car accident claims in good faith - honestly and with the intent to resolve the claim fairly. However, this doesn’t always happen - especially when a claimant isn’t represented by an attorney.
Adjusters might engage in tactics that draw out the claims process by demanding unnecessary documentation from the claimant or delaying an investigation.
Alternatively, the adjuster might attempt to force or manipulate a claimant into accepting a lowball settlement offer early on in the claims process.
If the insurance company acts in bad faith, it can either expedite or delay a settlement, but either result would likely not be to the claimant’s benefit.
Is Your Pain and Suffering Accounted For?
You don’t just deserve compensation for your economic losses. You deserve to be compensated for your harder-to-value pain and suffering, too. However, these non-economic damages are often a source of dispute during settlement negotiations.
The insurance company will downplay your suffering and, many times, refuse to pay what’s fair.
If you want to maximize your recovery, it might be necessary to enlist experts to clearly demonstrate the ways in which the car accident has adversely affected your life. While getting expert insight can add to the time you’re waiting for a settlement, it can help to increase the value of your financial award.
Accelerate the Claims Process By Hiring an Experienced Car Accident Attorney at Singleton Schreiber
Your car accident claim can be resolved quickly if you’re willing to accept the insurance company’s initial offer, which is likely for way less money than your case is worth. However, that’s not what you want. You want a settlement that accurately represents your financial losses and compensates you for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced since you got hurt.
You don’t have to navigate a car accident claim on your own. In fact, it’s in your best interest to hire an experienced car accident attorney to be your advocate. Not only can this help ensure that you satisfy all procedural requirements, but it also increases the odds of a successful outcome.
Your choice of car accident attorney can make a huge difference. Choosing an experienced and respected trial attorney can demonstrate that you’re not going to be pushed around and will not hesitate to reject their unreasonably low offers and go to trial instead.
The threat of litigation can be enough to compel the adjuster to take your claim seriously and engage in meaningful, honest settlement negotiations. Many times, the result is a more substantial settlement offer sooner, rather than later in the claims process.
At Singleton Schreiber, we’re recognized for excellence in civil litigation by The National Law Journal, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and other leading organizations. We’re local lawyers who know the insurance company’s playbook with national resources at our disposal to fight them every step of the way. Our case results include over $3 Billion in settlements and jury awards.
We represent clients throughout the nation in California, New Mexico, Hawaii, Louisiana, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. Don’t hesitate to contact one of our local law offices to discuss your car accident case and discover how our top-rated team might be able to help you maximize your recovery.
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