After a car accident, most people want to recover from their injuries and put the insurance claim process behind them. That naturally leads to an important question: how long will my car accident case take to settle?
There is no single timeline for a Pensacola car accident claim. A straightforward case involving clear fault and relatively minor injuries might resolve much faster than a collision involving surgery, disputed liability, or permanent injuries. Some claims settle through negotiations without a lawsuit, while others require litigation to obtain fair compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about car accident settlement timelines and what to expect.
How Does a Car Accident Case Begin?
The claims process begins almost immediately after the collision. Ideally, you report the crash, obtain appropriate medical care, exchange insurance information, and preserve any evidence available to you.
Once a personal injury attorney becomes involved, the investigation can expand considerably.
Your lawyer may obtain:
- The crash report
- Photographs and videos
- Witness statements
- Surveillance recordings
- Dashcam footage
- Medical records
- Insurance policies
- Vehicle information
- Cell phone evidence when relevant
- Employment records documenting lost wages
This investigation serves an important purpose. Before asking an insurance company for compensation, your attorney needs to understand who caused the accident and how much harm it caused you.
How Does Medical Treatment Affect the Settlement Timeline?
Your medical recovery is often one of the biggest factors determining how long a car accident case takes.
Suppose you break your wrist in an accident, but doctors expect a complete recovery. You finish treatment within several months, you return to work without permanent limitations, and your attorney accurately assesses the value of your damages relatively quickly.
Now consider someone who suffers a spinal injury. Doctors are unsure whether surgery will be necessary, and the victim may not know for months whether they can return to their previous occupation. When so many variables regarding the victim’s circumstances are unknown, settling this case too soon could be a serious mistake.
Before evaluating a settlement, your attorney may need a clearer picture of:
- Your final diagnosis
- Whether you need surgery
- Future medical treatment
- Permanent physical limitations
- Future rehabilitation
- Your ability to return to work
- Reduced earning capacity
- Long-term pain or disability
The more serious the injury, the more important these future losses can become.
What Happens Once Your Damages Are Known?
Once your condition is sufficiently understood, your attorney can begin putting together a demand for compensation. A demand may include evidence showing how the collision happened. It may also include details of why the other party is liable, what injuries you suffered, and how the injuries affect your finances and life.
Your damages could include both economic and non-economic losses. These may include medical expenses, lost wages, future treatment costs, reduced earning ability, pain and suffering, and loss of quality of life.
The insurance company then evaluates the claim. Sometimes the insurer accepts liability but disagrees about damages. Other times, it disputes nearly everything.
Negotiations can move quickly or continue through several rounds of offers and counteroffers. The amount of time required depends largely on the complexity of the case and how reasonably the insurance company approaches the claim.
What Factors Can Delay a Car Accident Settlement?
Some cases simply require more investigation and negotiation than others.
Cases that typically see delays in reaching a settlement often involve one or more of the following:
- Severe or permanent injuries
- Ongoing medical treatment
- Disputes over who caused the collision
- Multiple drivers or defendants
- Commercial vehicles
- Questions about insurance coverage
- Disputes over whether the accident caused an injury
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- Unknown future medical needs
- Uninsured or underinsured drivers
- Insurance companies refusing to negotiate reasonably
Any of these factors can complicate a case, increasing the time needed to reach a fair settlement agreement.
Why Do Insurance Companies Try to Shift Blame?
Fault directly affects compensation in Florida. This gives insurance companies a powerful reason to argue that you helped cause the accident.
Florida uses a modified comparative negligence system for most negligence claims. Your damages can be reduced according to your percentage of fault. More importantly, a person found more than 51% responsible generally cannot recover damages.
An insurance company might argue that you:
- Were speeding
- Followed too closely
- Changed lanes improperly
- Failed to brake soon enough
- Were distracted
- Could have avoided the collision
In some cases, these allegations have legitimate factual support. In others, they may exaggerate the injured driver’s role in an effort to reduce the insurer’s exposure. A lawyer can help defend you against any unfair allegations of blame following a car accident.
Contact the Pensacola Car Accident Lawyers at Gross & Schuster Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
There is no universal answer to how long a Pensacola car accident case will take to settle. A straightforward claim could be resolved relatively quickly. A serious injury case involving disputed fault, future medical needs, or litigation may take considerably longer. What matters is using that time wisely.
For more information, contact the Pensacola car accident lawyers Gross & Schuster Injury Lawyers at (850) 434-3333 for a free consultation.