This is the question everyone asks and, unfortunately, there is no easy answer. Some personal injury claims are clear-cut and don’t involve any kind of dispute. These claims can be settled within a few months. Other claims involve complicating factors that can drag the process out for years. Whatever the details of your case are, you want to make sure you have a dedicated Indianapolis car accident attorney on your side who is working in your best interests—whether that means settling quickly or being patient to ensure you get what you deserve. We explain some of the factors that can cause a case to drag out.
Complicating Factors in an Indiana Car Accident Claims
When you have been in an auto accident, you cannot put car repairs and medical treatment on hold—not to mention paying your mortgage and other bills. That is why it is so frustrating to have to wait for a financial settlement from the insurance company after you have been seriously injured in a car accident. However, it may benefit you, in the long run, to be patient.
The following circumstances may delay a car accident settlement:
- Severity of injuries. Until you know how extensive your injuries are and what treatment and long-term therapies they will require, you cannot know the true value of your claim. An attorney will advise you to hold off on accepting a settlement offer until the lifelong cost of your injuries is known.
- Question of fault. If there is uncertainty over the cause of the crash and who is liable for compensating whom, this will delay a settlement offer. The insurance adjuster for the driver who hit you is likely to try to pass some of the blame off on you. If this happens, your attorney will need time to investigate the auto accident and collect evidence in support of your claim.
- Insurance company. Large insurance companies with their own legal teams may use many tactics to delay settling your claim, simply because they can. If an insurance company has a conservative approach to settling claims, you may be in for a lengthy battle to get what you deserve.
- Going to trial. In the end, your Indianapolis personal injury attorney may be unwilling to accept any settlement offer from the other side and may decide to take the case to court. This can take a long time to work its way through the court system, but your attorney is not likely to take this measure unless he is confident it will benefit you in the long run.
