How Long does a Car Accident Settlement Take?

Trusting the process after you’ve gotten into a car accident can be difficult. Your vehicle is totaled, you have injuries, and you want to know when you can get the payment that will start righting some of those wrongs. You’re probably wondering how long it’ll take to reach a settlement.

Studies show that 3 million people in the United States get hurt in non-fatal car accidents each and every year. With professionals dealing with these matters every day, how does this affect how fast you get paid?

We’ll explore some answers to those questions below so you’re informed as you go through the process. Here are the important points you should know about getting a car accident settlement.

How Long Does it Take to Get My Car Accident Settlement?

The simple answer is that there are too many variables to have one clear timetable you can expect. Car accident cases with personal injuries can get settled out of court in as little as a few weeks or could take as long as a few years.

If you’re at the starting point of a car accident settlement process, expect it to take you at least a few months before getting paid. This is why taking care of yourself and finding the help of legal professionals is so critical.

What Factors Dictate How Long My Settlement Will Take?

A Cornell Law study shows that 95.8% of these cases settle out of court. Since a settlement is your most likely scenario, you need to learn all of the details that affect how long it takes and how much you’ll get paid.

Here are a few of the variables that play a huge role:

1. The Statute of Limitations in Your State

Each personal injury car accident case has a statute of limitations, which refers to how long you have until your legal rights to file a lawsuit expire. The length of these statutes is decided by each state’s legislative branch.

The state of California gives you 2 years from the time of the injury taking place.

Knowing these statutes will dictate how long it takes to get a car accident settlement. For instance, your lawyer might see that your case has several complex details, and might wait until late in the statutes of limitations to buy more time for research and evidence gathering.

2. The Narrative and Evidence of the Accident

The speed of your settlement also depends on the evidence. Your case will settle far quicker if the evidence clearly proves that the other driver was negligent or at-fault.

When the issue of fault is up for debate, or it appears that both parties were negligent in causing the wreck, the settlement will take more time and research.

3. The Property Damage at Stake

Property damage claims in recent years paid out an average of approximately $3,000 per case. When the value of your case is much higher than that, your settlement could take more time.

With a larger payout at stake, there are more details to comb through.

4. The Nature of Your Medical Bills and Condition

The complexity of your medical situation will also make a settlement take longer.

There are some common car accident injuries you need to be aware of when prepping a case or settlement. People commonly deal with lower back pain, concussion, broken bones, and muscle strains.

Bodily injury claims in recent years paid out an average of about $15,000 per case. When the injuries are life-altering, your case settlement price becomes much higher, and it will involve lots of medical evaluation and depositions.

Spinal injuries, for instance, make a personal injury case far more serious and will require a sophisticated legal team.

5. The Long-Term Implication of Your Health and Earnings

When it appears that you’ll have long-term injuries, it takes longer to properly research the value of the case.

For instance, many people that get hurt will need long-term physical therapy to heal and get their range of motion back. You might need to get chiropractor adjustments for the long-term when you’re trying to heal from a car accident injury to your back and neck.

These cases may involve multiple surgeries, depending on the injuries.

Aside from your medical healing, you’ll also have to consider the income deficet you’ll experience when you’re too injured to work. You’ll need to account for any earnings you’ll lose due to being hurt, right now and in the future. Properly assessing the value of your missed earnings will add time to your out of court settlement.

6. The Lawyer That You Hire

You can always count on efficiency navigating your settlement when you hire a skilled legal team. While several details of the case are out of your control, having a proven lawyer will move the settlement along efficiently.

Always get recommendations when you are searching for legal help with your settlement. When you hire the best attorneys, they will be skillful at reaching out to the other party and helping you come to a negotiation.

Fighting for a Car Accident Settlement

These points give you some insight into what you can expect from a car accident settlement. Since car accidents cause mental and physical trauma and expensive damages, you’ll need the help of the best legal representation that you can find.

Sweet Lawyers, Attorneys at Law has a wealth of experience and would be happy to help you.

Let us field your questions so we can build the foundation to winning your case. Book a free consultation on our web form, or shoot us a text or call us at (800-)674-7854.