The aftermath of a car accident can be a frustrating and stressful time for many. With mounting expenses and a lot of uncertainty, people can begin to wonder if the situation will ever end. There's one thing for sure – it will ultimately end. The question of when your car accident claim will settle, however, is a different story. The timeline of a car accident claim is highly dependent on the facts of each case. As such, it's difficult to put a stamped date on when the lawsuit will be resolved. In this article, we'll discuss the injury lawsuit timeline and various factors that may impact how long it takes to settle an accident claim.
If you've been hurt in an accident due to someone else's negligent or intentional conduct, you may be entitled to legal compensation to help you financially, emotionally, and physically recover. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with our car accident claim lawyers, text or call (602) 345-1818 or fill out our convenient and secure online contact form here.
The Typical Car Accident Claim Timeline
While the timeline of your case will be specific to your legal situation, there is a general timeline that most personal injury cases follow. Misunderstanding this process and timeline misleads many people, and they may delay contacting a personal injury lawyer as a result. Waiting to contact your lawyer for a consultation can be detrimental to your case and ultimate recovery. Delaying your consultation can ultimately cost you a lot of money.
The typical timeline of a personal injury case includes the following steps:
- Free initial consultation with Impact Legal - Once you set this up by calling or texting us at (602) 345-1818, or filling out our online form, we will set up a time to review the facts of your case, review any related documentation, and advise you on the legal direction we think you should take. This meeting can be virtual if you prefer.
- Development of your legal strategy - Step 2 is all about due diligence. We'll collect all of the evidence, documentation, etc associated with your claim to build a strong strategy to get you the appropriate settlement.
- Settlement negotiations - Before we file a lawsuit, we'll compile necessary documents from the strategy we develop in step 2 and begin communication and negotiation with the insurance company to give them a chance to pay your financial damages without going to court. Usually, your injury lawyer will be able to secure an appropriate settlement for you during step 3. However, if the insurance company is being unreasonable or unfair, we will take it to step 4.
- Filing a lawsuit - In this step, we'll officially file your lawsuit to get you the best possible outcome.
- Discovery - In this step, we will request all evidence from the other side that may support your claim.
- Trial - Frequently, it doesn't get to this step, but if a reasonable settlement cannot be reached outside of court, your case may go to a judge and jury to decide.
Every case is different, and we will try our best to get it settled for you in the beginning steps. However, if need be, we will fight for you in court.
How Long Will This Process Take?
Again, it depends on your specific case when it comes to knowing how long your accident claim will take to settle. A car accident claims lawyer can walk you through the probable timeline based on your specific legal situation. However, it's important to remember that various factors may impact your timeline. Some factors that could lengthen your claim timeline include:
- Your case may become held up by legal or factual issues
- Your case is big, involving a lot of damages and significant compensation
- You may not have reached maximum medical improvement, which is essential to ensuring you get the right injury settlement amount
Certain legal or factual issues may be a reason your case takes a while to resolve. Some examples of these issues are liability and damages disagreements, or contention regarding the monetary value of certain losses. Whether or not issues like these exist will depend on the facts in your case and the evidence available.
When a lot is at stake in a case, the timeline may be expanded as a result. A lot of damages can weigh down a case and make the opposing side less likely to settle without a lot of communication and negotiation.
Maximum medical improvement (MMI) is another large factor in the timeline of a car accident claim. Maximum medical improvement is a stable point in your recovery. While you may not be entirely healed, MMI gets you to a steady point to understand the future medical/compensatory needs of your injury. This is one of the most common reasons an accident case may take a long time to settle. It's vital to wait for MMI so that you know the true value of your personal injury case. You don't want to settle for what you believe to be a good number at the time only to find out later that your injuries need a lot more medical attention (meaning a lot more medical expense).
Be Sure to Speak with Your Car Accident Attorney to Know More
In a personal injury case, it's essential to speak with your lawyer about the specifics of your case. Every case is different, therefore every accident settlement will be different, and every timeline will be different. Your lawyer can help you better understand the timeline of your accident claim.
If you've been hurt in an accident, be sure to contact a car accident claims lawyer as soon as possible to get started on the process that will get you to recovery and healing. To set up a free, no-obligation consultation, be sure to call Impact Legal at (602) 345-1818 or fill out our online contact form, and we will reach out to you.
The information on our blog and website is for general informational purposes only, and it is not intended to serve as legal advice. For legal advice about your unique situation, call or text our car accident lawyers today.
We are located in Arizona and New Mexico. We serve clients in Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria, Maricopa, and the entire state of Arizona. We also serve clients in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Roswell, Farmington, Los Alamos, Las Cruces, and the entire state of New Mexico.