How Long Does a Car Accident Claim Take?

How Long Does a Car Accident Claim Take?

How long the car accident claim process takes depends on a variety of factors. Generally speaking, it may take anywhere from a few months to over a year to settle your car accident claim, and it’ll take another month or so to have your award secured in your bank account. To get answers to the frequently asked questions claimants have about the car accident claim timeline, read on! We provide most affordable car accident lawyer South Jamaica services!

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When Should a Car Accident Claim Be Filed?

You should file a car accident claim right away. That is, you should file the claim once you have all necessary documents (medical records, the police report, etc.) ready to go. You should also only initiate the claim process once you have a car accident lawyer on your side. Bringing on a lawyer to help you with a claim after the process has begun can make things more challenging.

In New York, a car accident victim generally has three years to file a claim following a car accident, though you may need to file sooner depending on the nature of the accident. For example, if you got into an accident with a government vehicle, you’ll have only 30 days to file a claim.

What Factors Affect the Car Accident Claim Process?

Several factors will affect how long it takes you to settle a car accident claim, including:

• The nature of the accident
• The extent of your injuries
• Evidence gathering
• How fast the insurance company moves to get your claim resolved
• The damages figure being sought
• Negotiations
• Whether or not you have a car accident lawyer on your side

The car accident claim process is a formal process, which means certain procedures must be followed in order to ensure things are carried out properly. Even the most expedited claim process can take longer than a month from start to finish.

What Factors Lengthen the Car Accident Claim Process?

If the following factors are present in your case, it’s likely the claim process will be on the longer side:

• If you’ve sustained a severe injury during the accident and your doctors either don’t know how to treat you or they’re unsure of what the likely outcome is for you.
• Proof of liability is either scanty or absent completely.
• There’s wrongful death involved.
• Many parties bear responsibility for the accident, such as when a truck gets into a multi-car accident on a highway.

If you’re going to be facing a drawn-out claim process, it’s best to have a skilled and experienced car accident lawyer on your side. Most individuals who lack professional legal experience get overwhelmed and stressed out by the claim process when it gets complicated, and these negative feelings delay the recovery process and exacerbate injuries.

Why Is Maximum Medical Improvement Important in the Car Accident Claim Process?

Maximum medical improvement (MMI) is a term given to the state one reaches when they fully recover from accident-related injuries. Generally speaking, it’s best to wait for MMI to be reached before you settle your claim. If you settle before MMI is reached, you may not get properly compensated for all your injuries. For example, if you develop accident-related injuries after settling, you won’t be able to get compensated for these, as a settlement was reached.

Will My Insurance Company Move Quickly to Settle a Car Accident Claim?

There isn’t a clear yes or no answer here. In some cases, an insurance company will delay the process in hopes that doing so will frustrate you and make you abandon filing a claim. In other cases, an insurance company will move quickly and offer you a lowball settlement figure, hoping you’ll accept it and save them both time and money.

In most cases, an insurance company will work on a reasonable timeline to get things handled in a timely manner, though cases that involve high damages figures being sought will get more scrutiny from the insurance companies, and this extra scrutiny elongates the process.

Will Taking a Car Accident Claim to Trial Lengthen the Process?

Yes, taking your car accident claim to trial will elongate the claim process; doing so will also make the process more expensive. The reason why trial lengthens the claim process is because more formal processes have to be followed. For example, you’ll have to go through discovery, which is even more involved than the evidence-gathering process a lawyer will do before attempting to reach a settlement. Additionally, a jury will have to be selected, and the actual trial itself could take longer than a week.

How Long Will It Take To Get a Car Accident Settlement Check?

If you can reach a fair settlement with your insurance company, then you’ll only need to wait around four to six weeks to get your settlement check. You’ll have to sign a release form beforehand, and this form will officially end the claim process and preclude further legal action. After the insurance company receives this release form, they will release your payment. The check will be sent to your lawyer, your lawyer will take their cut to cover fees and the cost of their services, and then you’ll get the remainder.

How Will a Car Accident Lawyer Make the Claim Process Go as Quick as Possible?

One of the main benefits of hiring a car accident lawyer is that they’ll be on the ball the minute the claim process begins to make sure things go as quickly and smoothly as possible. However, a lawyer will never rush things just to secure an easy settlement.

They’ll make sure you get fairly compensated, even if this requires elongating the process a little bit. A lawyer will also know when it’s best to take a claim to trial, and they won’t do so unless it’s absolutely necessary. In short, if you hire car accident lawyers, like us, who have vast resources, refined skills, and tons of experience, it’s quite likely the claim process will go as quickly as possible.

Get in touch with Hurt 511 when you need to hire a car accident lawyer in South Jamaica. Our initial consultation is free!