How Long Does It Take To Settle A Car Accident Case?

8 August 2022
 Categories: Law, Blog

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Most car accidents in which one driver is at fault are resolved with a settlement. You are allowed to negotiate this settlement on your own, but it's a better idea to hire a law firm to help you negotiate a settlement. While some settlements are very fast, others might take longer than you might expect. 

The Statute of Limitations

Your car accident case will need to be resolved before the statute of limitations runs out. The statute of limitations varies from state to state. However, as long as the statute of limitations has not run out, you will be able to file a lawsuit with the help of a law firm attorney.

Low-Ball Settlement Offers

While your goal isn't necessarily to file a lawsuit, doing so might allow you to more strongly encourage the insurance provider to settle your case. Rather than go to trial and potentially lose big, while also having to incur courtroom costs, an insurance provider might instead settle shortly before the trial begins.

The insurance provider might make a settlement offer that is much lower than your case should be worth. Rather than agreeing to the settlement offer, you should instead contact your law firm and ask for their opinion. Lawyers often use modern software that will help them predict how much your case should be worth. If the settlement offer strongly deviates from the acceptable norm, your lawyer might discourage you from accepting it. 

Going to Trial

Even if you want to avoid going to trial, it's great to have a lawyer in your corner who has a lot of experience in the courtroom. Insurance providers keep track of which lawyers have trial experience and are more likely to offer a higher settlement amount if they think there is a good chance of your case going to trial.

You Might Not Yet Know the Full Extent of Your Injuries

A settlement can also take a very long time if you are severely injured as a result of your car accident. This is because it may take a while for you to fully recover from your injuries so you can know how terrible your injuries are. You might need years of therapy.

You will still need to take legal action before the statute of limitations runs out. However, a law firm will be able to help you calculate how much your settlement is worth so you can reach a settlement as soon as possible.

Reach out to a law office to learn more.