How Long Is The Personal Injury Claim Process?

Hopefully, you will never experience being injured in a car accident, however, if you do you should understand what the process for obtaining compensation looks like. When you have sustained injuries from an accident, many factors can impact your life including mounting expenses from medical bills and treatment, to personal property damages, and lost wages if you are unable to work.  If it takes too long to obtain your much-needed compensation your anxiety is likely to grow as the bills pile up. 

Some factors can slow down the claims process so it makes sense to understand what they are. Working through the claims process can be complex, frustrating, and overwhelming especially if you are also recovering from injuries. To reduce the stress that you have to endure and to ensure you obtain the highest amount of compensation for your damages and losses, working with a qualified Arizona serious injury attorney is highly advisable.

 What Is The Personal Injury Claim Process

Each case varies as not all situations are the same and the way a personal injury case is handled from one victim to the next may be very different. Depending on your circumstances you could be looking at weeks to upwards of months before you have a settlement. The general outline of what actions take place after an accident include:

• Always see a medical professional to check for injuries like whiplash, receive appropriate diagnosis, document injuries, and provide an appropriate treatment plan.
• The details of the accident are looked into.
• There is a determination of who is at fault for the accident.
• A reservation of rights letter is sent from the insurance company.
• Your lawyer prepares and sends a demand package for your losses to the insurance company.

You have the option of accepting or rejecting a settlement amount the insurance company sends you. Your lawyer will be a critical part of the process if you reject the settlement because they will handle the counteroffer as well as the negotiations on your behalf to increase your chances of the insurance company accepting the counter. Qualified legal representation will be able to combat the insurance company’s denials, understand the evidence required to support your claim, and how to ensure that the settlement you finally receive will be fair. 

It could take many weeks with multiple offers and counteroffers before you settle and your legal representation will guide you through that entire process, answer all of your questions, and help you stay informed during the claims process. Once a settlement is reached you will then be looking at upwards of six weeks before you obtain your check.

Possible Disputes

The negotiations process may include disagreements which can delay your check. Some of the disputes that are seen in personal injury claims include:

• Who is liable and if there is a shared fault, how much fault do you own versus the other party.
• If the policy covers the accident.
• How severe your injuries are.
• The length of time needed for medical therapies and treatment until you are fully recovered.
• If your injury was due to a pre-existing condition and not the accident.

There are many steps and considerations for the personal injury claims process. The knowledgeable Phoenix car accident attorneys at ELG can provide the responses and evidence necessary to resolve disputes if they arise in your claim. When you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault, you need effective legal representation. Call the attorneys at ELG today and set up a free consultation to discuss your accident experience at either our Phoenix or Mesa personal injury law offices at (623) 562-3838.