What Is the Average Length of a Car Accident Settlement?

Being involved in a car accident can be an extremely traumatic experience. Most of the personal injury claims arising from car accidents are usually resolved between the two parties. However, each car accident case is unique, and the time involved in receiving a settlement can vary from a few days to months or even years.

Settlement Without Litigation

If there is no doubt regarding the at-fault party in the accident, then you could receive your settlement without filing a lawsuit. This typically occurs if there are limited damages and the insurance company is willing to settle immediately. In some cases, there could be a short negotiation period before the settlement is decided. But these processes are usually brief, and settlement is typically received within days from the accident. However, if there no settlement reached, it could result in a possible lawsuit.

Car Accident Lawsuit Process

If your car accident leads to a lawsuit, it could take anywhere between a few months to years to get your case resolved. Car accident lawsuits generally involve several steps that include filing a formal complaint, a discovery phase of sharing and reviewing the evidence involved in the accident and making formal requests, and performing depositions. 

If the settlement is not reached after the discovery phase, the case goes for trial, where a jury of peers reviews the case and the evidence put forward and makes their decision. The trial ends in the court providing a decision awarding a specific compensation. However, if one of the parties disagrees with the decision, they can file for an appeal that could delay the settlement. 

Key Factors That Impact the Time to Receive A Settlement

There is no direct way of estimating the time period involved in a car accident, but some of the factors that affect the length of a claim include:

The scale of injuries: The severity of injuries can directly impact the time period. If you are pursuing minor medical bills and expenses, your claim could resolve relatively quickly. However, if the accident has resulted in permanent disabilities, it could take much longer to receive your settlement.

Insurance provider: The insurance company may also slow down your settlement process as they may require time to review documents and negotiate with the other party’s insurance company. Also, insurance companies are notorious for undermining your claims, and they may delay the process on purpose to push you to accept whatever they offer.

At-fault driver does not have insurance: Another key factor that could impact your settlement time is if the at-fault driver is not carrying insurance. Although you can still recover compensation from the uninsured party, it is unlikely that they will have the necessary assets to cover your settlement that could delay your claim.

How Can A Good Car Accident Attorney Help You?

Since several factors involved an accident could affect your settlement time and the compensation amount, it is imperative to hire legal counsel following your car accident. A good car accident lawyer will keep you informed and help you at every step of your claims procedure to reduce the settlement period and ensure you receive maximum compensation. Thankfully, the car accident lawyers at Ellis Law have additional information on the usual length of this process on their website here: https://ellisinjurylaw.com/los-angeles-car-accident-lawyers/how-long-do-car-settlements-take/