How the timeline for a car accident claim works
A car accident settlement can sometimes go quickly. However, in many cases when a fast settlement occurs, it is because the injury victim was willing to accept a low settlement offer. Often, waiting longer results in higher settlement amounts. There are reasons why favorable settlements often take longer.
Medical Treatment
Injuries resulting from a car accident may require lengthy treatment. For health reasons, you should reach maximum medical improvement before ending your treatment. From a settlement perspective, you want the monetary recovery amount to cover all your medical expenses. You don’t want to settle and discover you have out-of-pocket costs still occurring that the settlement fell short of covering. Working with an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you avoid this mistake.
Time to Gather Evidence
Typically, insurance companies try to assign fault or minimize the extent of damages. Your attorney needs to gather evidence to support your claim. In general, evidence frequently includes the following:
- Medical records and bills
- Accident scene photographs
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Estimates of present and future lost income capacity due to injuries
- Estimates or repair bills from a repair shop for car damages
- Expert testimony from accident reconstruction specialists
It may take time to gather this evidence. Using an attorney makes the job much easier. Not to mention, an experienced personal injury lawyer has the skills and knowledge to be effective.
Car Accident Settlement Negotiation
Most accident cases settle outside of court. To receive the compensation you deserve typically requires negotiating a fair settlement. Attorneys have experience dealing with insurance companies. They understand insurance companies’ legal strategies. In addition, they recognize when a settlement offer isn’t fair. Lawyers also have the leverage to tell an insurance company agent that the offer is unacceptable and that it will result taking the case to trial. A skilled lawyer knows how to win a case and get you the compensation you deserve.
Find out how we can help
To arrange a free consultation, contact the Law Office of John Fazzini. Call us at (631) 547-8989 or reach out to us through our contact form.