Car Accidents
Understanding how long your claim may take with the help of a car accident is vital to deciding if you should hire one. Learn today.
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In a simple car accident case where liability is clear, and there are minimal injuries, a personal injury attorney may be able to settle the case within a few months.
However, if the car accident claim involves multiple parties, severe injuries, litigation, or disputes over liability, the injury claim may take 1-3 years to reach a settlement.
The timeline for filing a personal injury claim with a personal injury lawyer is unique to each case. However, the claims process can be generalized into a couple of steps.
By understanding the steps in the claims process, you'll be able to meet necessary deadlines and increase your chances of obtaining a higher settlement.
Following a car accident, usually, the first step in filing a claim is not filing the claim itself but is:
This first step in filing an injury claim may take a few days to weeks to be completed.
After completing the prerequisites of filing an injury claim, you can now proceed with filing the claim itself; this usually includes:
This step will usually take weeks to complete.
Following filing the injury claim, the insurance company will begin an investigation into the claim and determine if the injuries and damages were related to the car crash.
This investigation usually involves the insurance company reviewing the accident report, medical records, and other relevant information.
The insurance investigation could take several weeks to a few months to complete.
After the investigation, the insurance company will contact your personal injury lawyer and offer a settlement. If this settlement does not completely cover your damages, your lawyer can negotiate for a fair settlement.
If your lawyer can reach a settlement with the at-fault driver's insurance company, then your case will be concluded.
However, if a fair settlement is not reached, then your personal injury attorney may file a lawsuit and take your case to court. It's important to understand that if your injury case is taken to court, it could take over a year to settle.
After submitting your claim to the insurance company, you can expect them to offer a settlement in about 2 weeks to a month.
However, if your case is complex involving multiple parties, disputed liability, or commercial parties, it may take several months to a year for you to get offered a personal injury settlement.
If your personal injury lawyer faces challenges in obtaining fair compensation from the insurance company and takes your case to trial, it could take several months to a couple of years to settle, depending on factors such as:
To obtain a fair settlement in a reasonable matter of time, you'll need to hire experienced personal injury attorneys such as the ones at The Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm.
Yes, you should hire a personal injury attorney if you are seeking to obtain a fair settlement. As it's not a legal requirement to have an attorney to obtain a settlement, it's highly recommended as they provide several key benefits such as:
Most attorneys handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning they only charge fees if they win your case.
Under a contingency fee basis, if the attorney wins your case, they usually take 25% to 40% of your final settlement.
The percentage amount is usually based on factors such as whether your case went to litigation or whether expert testimony was needed.
By understanding how much a car accident attorney costs, you can hopefully be less resistant to seeking legal representation.
If you were involved in a car accident in Nevada, contact the experienced attorneys at The Rodney Okano Car Accident Lawyer Law Firm.
With over 20+ years of experience in Nevada and car accident law, our attorneys will obtain the compensation you're entitled to for your injuries and damages.
Schedule a free consultation with a Nevada attorney today by calling (702) 566-3600 or submitting a message.