Car Accidents
How Long Does It Take to Settle a Car Accident Claim with a Lawyer
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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How Long Do Most Car Accident Settlements Take with a Lawyer?
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.
What Is the Timeline for Filing a Car Accident Claim?
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.
First Steps in a Car Accident Claim
Following a car accident, usually, the first step in filing a claim is not filing the claim itself but is:
- Seeking Medical Attention: Even if your injuries are minor or you feel you haven't been injured, seeking prompt medical attention is vital to your health and claim.
- Reporting the Accident: Most insurance companies require you to notify them that you were in an accident within a couple of the accident. Report the accident to your insurance company immediately to ensure you won't experience any complications with your claim.
- Evidence Gathering: Before filing the injury claim, you must build a case, and to do so, evidence from the accident scene must be collected and analyzed by an experienced car accident attorney.
This first step in filing an injury claim may take a few days to weeks to be completed.
Initial Claim Filing
After completing the prerequisites of filing an injury claim, you can now proceed with filing the claim itself; this usually includes:
- Consulting with a Lawyer: Speak with a Las Vegas car accident attorney to understand your rights, claim, and best course of action to take in your personal injury case.
- Filing the Claim: Using the evidence you and your lawyer gathered, you'll file a claim against the other driver's insurance company and await a response.
This step will usually take weeks to complete.
Insurance Investigation and Negotiation
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.
Settlement or Litigation
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.
How Long Does It Take for the Insurance Company to Offer a Settlement in a Car Accident Claim?
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.
How Long Does a Settlement Take in a Lawsuit?
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:
- Case Complexity: A simple car accident case taken to court should be over in around 3 months; however, a complex case could take years.
- Discovery Process: The discovery process is a phase in litigation where the parties involved in the car crash exchange information and gather evidence. This phase can significantly lengthen your case's timeline.
- Trial: The trial could be relatively fast, only lasting a few days to weeks; however, the final verdict on your personal injury settlement may not be reached for months or years, and even after a verdict is reached, appeals from the opposing side may occur.
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.
Do I Need a Lawyer to Obtain a Car Accident Settlement
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:
- Handling of the Insurance Company: Without having a personal injury attorney to represent you, the insurance company may disregard your right to a fair settlement by lowballing you, not responding to your messages, or simply just denying your claim or injuries.
- More Compensation: One of the main reasons to hire an attorney is that it's proven that car accident victims who hire a lawyer to represent them obtain more compensation than victims who attempt to represent themselves.
- Reduced Stress: The aftermath of car accidents is a stressful and time-consuming experience, and without help from a personal injury attorney, you may prolong the recovery process.
How Much Does a Car Accident Attorney Cost?
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.
Speak to a Las Vegas Car Accident Attorney Today
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.
When to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer in Las Vegas