How Long Does It Take to Settle a Car Accident Claim in Arizona?

Car accidents that result in injuries occur frequently in Arizona. In fact, according to one source, on average, every 9 minutes, a person is injured in a car accident in the Grand Canyon State.

In the aftermath of a car accident, a victim may be dealing with mounting medical bills and lost days from work, in addition to any physical pain that may have resulted from the crash. Naturally, he or she would be anxious to get relief by receiving a fair settlement for damages suffered.

If you have recently suffered a car accident, you may be wondering how long the entire process will take to settle your claim. A general answer would be from a few days to several months. However, multiple factors can have a direct impact on the time it takes to settle a car accident claim in Arizona. 

Typical Steps in a Car Accident Claim in Arizona

After experiencing a car accident, you may be in an elevated emotional state, wanting to move on quickly with your life. However, there are some basic steps that you should take to protect your rights and receive fair compensation for your losses.

These steps, which are necessary, will have a direct impact on the timing of your settlement. Some of these include the following. 

Hiring a lawyer

Although you may be tempted to settle your claim quickly by dealing directly with the insurance company, it would be a mistake to do so. While it is true that it’s not necessary to hire a lawyer, doing so will ensure that you maximize the amount you receive.

Insurance companies are in the business to make money, not pay it out. This includes your own insurance company. Adjusters are highly skilled at using tactics to lessen the value of your claim. You may wind up discovering that the process for obtaining a fair settlement is far more complicated than initially thought.

Seeking fair compensation

Another good reason for hiring a lawyer is to ensure that you receive the full settlement amount that you are legally entitled to receive. Your attorney would know how to calculate the value of your claim, including medical expenses, lost wages, property damages, and pain and suffering. Your lawyer will include future losses as well, such as lost earning capacity and loss of consortium.

Once your lawyer has determined a fair dollar amount, he or she will send a letter to the insurance company demanding compensation. The demand letter will specify details of the accident, the losses you suffered, and the amount that you are requesting for fair compensation.

Negotiating a settlement

It is extremely rare for an insurance company to agree to the amount specified in the demand letter. As already mentioned, insurance companies are in the business of making money, not paying it out. It is more likely that they will deny the claim or make a counteroffer for a lesser amount. And this is where the negotiation process begins.

Your attorney and the insurance company may go back and forth with offers until a fair amount can be agreed upon. The negotiation process may last anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

Finalizing the agreement

If a fair settlement amount has been agreed upon, your lawyer will notify you to see if you are comfortable with the amount. If so, you would then sign a settlement agreement.

However, before signing, your lawyer will make sure that you understand the details of the agreement. This is very important because once it’s signed, the terms are final. Lastly, after the deduction of attorney fees, you will receive your settlement check.

Factors That Could Have an Effect on the Time of Settlement

In many car accident cases, the basic steps mentioned above rarely occur. This is because accidents tend to be more serious than fender-benders, and victims tend to suffer more than minor injuries. The following list highlights some factors that may increase the time it takes to settle your claim.

Severity of the injuries

In car accident cases where victims are left with severe or catastrophic injuries, the timeline for settling the claim can be significantly increased. This is because medical treatment for such injuries takes considerable time.

Understanding the long-term results from injuries may take months to become manifest. Settling the claim too soon may result in a victim receiving considerably less compensation than he or she would be entitled to receive.

Complexity of the case

Some car crashes may involve disputes over who is liable. This would be the case in accidents that involve multiple vehicles, or the cause of the crash may have introduced a possible third party who may share liability, such as the manufacturer of a faulty car part.

These types of car accident cases typically require an extensive investigation to isolate the facts and establish liability. This would also be true if just two vehicles were involved and the other party denies liability. In all such cases, settlement would not come quickly.

Filing a lawsuit

If the insurance company refuses to cooperate with settling the claim for a fair amount, or the amount exceeds insurance limits, then a lawsuit would need to be filed to protect the victim’s rights. The entire lawsuit process, which includes discovery, interviewing witnesses, and possibly hiring experts, can take months or longer.

In addition, scheduling a court date may take time. Courts typically have heavy dockets and are often backlogged. This means it may take a while to get your case scheduled.

This list is by no means exhaustive. There are various other factors that may affect the timing of your settlement.

During the consultation with your lawyer, try to provide as many specifics of your case as possible. This would help your lawyer to have a general picture of your claim and provide you with a general idea of when to expect a settlement. Remember, your lawyer will be aggressively fighting to get you a fair settlement as soon as possible.

Get the Assistance of a Car Accident Lawyer Today

In the aftermath of a car accident, you are legally entitled to pursue compensation for your losses. However, going alone would not be the wise choice to make. Hiring an experienced car accident attorney will give you peace of mind, knowing your rights are being protected, while you focus on healing.

Your lawyer would know how to determine the accurate value of your claim. This would include factoring in emotional distress and future losses as well. Your lawyer would also be familiar with tactics used by insurance adjusters to lessen the value of your claim, and how to refute them. Further, your lawyer will fight your case in court, if necessary, to ensure that you are fairly compensated.

Your settlement amount will be directly affected by the law firm that you choose to represent you. Go with a law firm that has years of experience with handling all types of car accident cases and has successfully negotiated millions of dollars in settlements for its clients. Big Auto Accident Attorneys is that firm. Call us today at 1.844.BIG.AUTOfor a free consultation.