How Long Will It Take For My Car Accident Case to Settle?

When car accident victims come to our firm, they often have a lot of fears and trepidations regarding the claim process, as it can be very difficult to understand. However, one of the questions we get asked most frequently is how long it will take to settle a given case. This is not a simple question to answer, as there are numerous factors to keep in mind.

Before we discuss some of these factors, we should mention that the trusted car accident lawyers from Van Law Firm are available to answer any questions you may have regarding car accidents or any other personal injury claims. Call our office nearest you today to schedule a free consultation. 

Gauging the Length of Car Accident Claims

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When claimants ask us how long it will take for their case to settle, we typically give them the lawerly response of, “it depends.” Namely, it depends on the type of accident, the extent of the injuries and damages, how many parties are involved in proceedings, and more. That being said, insurance regulations do set a rough time frame for handling claims, to avoid excessive delays. Most states in the U.S. require insurers to either settle or deny a claim within 60 days after acknowledging it, at the latest–keep in mind that most states have quicker deadlines, sometimes even less than 30 days. A large number of claims are settled in about a month to six weeks, but claims can be settled before or after that mark. 

However, this initial threshold only concerns settlement offers, and it doesn’t necessarily constitute the end of the claim. If you are unsatisfied with the offer, or if the insurer has denied your claim for whatever reason, you can retain a car accident lawyer to help you contest their decision and recover the compensation you need. They can help you review your policy to see if in fact your insurer has acted wrongfully in denying your coverage, and there are potential legal actions they can assist you with as well, including bad faith claims or grievances with the corresponding state insurance department. 

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One last thing claimants should remember with regards to case length is that sometimes patience can be a real virtue when fighting for compensation. Insurance companies know that claimants want to get things done as soon as possible, so they will employ various tricks to take advantage of this. For example, if they sense that your claim may be very costly, they will likely try to make a lowball offer right away to try and lure you away from a larger sum down the line. Or, they could do the opposite, and find ways to deny coverage so that eventually you just go away and pay expenses out of pocket. Don’t give in to either; instead, contact experienced professionals and hold them accountable for the coverage you deserve. 

Questions About a Car Accident Claim? Call Van Law Firm Today

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If you’re unsatisfied with how your claim is currently being handled, or would like to speak further with experienced car accident lawyers, make the right choice and call Van Law Firm as soon as possible. We’ve dedicated ourselves to defending the rights of accident victims for nearly ten years now, and with $50+ million recovered to date, we’re just getting started. Call our office nearest you today to learn more about what VLF can do for you.