12 Jun

How Long Does A Car Accident Settlement Take With A Lawyer?

Florida Law Group Car Accidents, Personal Injury

It’s one of most frequently asked questions that injured car accident victims Google – how long does a car accident settlement take with a lawyer? If you were injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you can get a monetary settlement from the at-fault party’s insurance company (or your own, in some cases), but how fast you get that settlement depends on the specifics of your case. 

Faster Isn’t Always Better – Actually, It’s Usually Worse!

When it comes to resolving injury claims after a car accident, it’s important to remember that a fast settlement isn’t always good. 

Yes, it is tough to be struggling financially because of a car accident – to have the weight of all the medical bills, and/or to be out of work because you’re recovering – but quick settlements are made so quickly because they are usually lower. If you accept a quick settlement, you may end up struggling more in the long run because it may not cover all of your resulting expenses from the accident. 

Here’s a fundamental principle that every car accident victim must understand: insurance companies lose money when they pay out settlements. Because they are a for-profit business, they are concerned with their own bottom line, so losing money is a negative incident for them that they want to avoid. 

To that end, if they can offer low but fast settlements to accident victims who they know need to get their accident bills covered, they can keep more money in their own pockets. So a fast settlement is likely a low one! 

As Nolo puts it, “Many of the factors associated with successful outcomes and higher payouts also increase the average time needed to resolve claims.”

So How Long Will It Take? It Depends! 

The short answer to the question, “How long does a car accident settlement take with a lawyer?” is longer than it would without one, but again, that’s not necessarily a positive! 

One Martindale-Nolo survey analyzed responses from participants across the United States and data from thousands of federal court cases. It found that half of participants resolved their personal injury claims within two months to a year, while 30% of participants waited over a year for cases to be resolved. The overall average was 11.4 months. 

Your Case May Take Longer To Settle If…

You Negotiate With The Insurance Company – 

If you do not simply accept the insurance company’s first offer, but attempt to negotiate, you obviously won’t receive a settlement as quickly. It will take some back and forth to reach a satisfactory number. 

You Have A Lawyer – 

Negotiating on your own isn’t likely yield the kind of settlement you may be hoping for. You don’t have much negotiating power! However, with a lawyer, the insurance companies are forced to pay attention to you. A lawyer has a number of tools in their toolbox for challenging insurance companies, and extensive experience doing so. They can file motions, enter into negotiation, get second opinions, gather supporting evidence, present expert witnesses, and more in order to increase the amount you are being offered by the insurance company for your injuries. 

Doing all of these things will take more time, but also maximizes the chances of you receiving the highest possible settlement. 

More than 9 out of 10 survey participants who enlisted legal representation received a settlement, compared to 5 out of 10 who tried to do it on their own without a lawyer. Participants who hired attorneys also received an average of $77,600 compared to an average of $17,600 for those who did not hire attorneys. Every situation is unique, but those are significant differences, and any amount of time would likely make receiving that difference worth it. 

You Threaten To File, Or Do File, A Lawsuit – 

If your lawyer is confident that your interests might be best served by filing a lawsuit against the insurance company, and taking your case to trial, then this will take much longer to settle. There is a lot that has to happen to resolve a lawsuit; some reports show that the typical time from filing a lawsuit to settlement was just under a year. However, if you have a strong case, a lawsuit might be worth it because it will result in a much higher settlement. 

Participants in one survey who did file a lawsuit or threaten to were more likely to receive a settlement or award, and their payouts were almost twice as high as those who didn’t take either of those steps. 

Your Case Goes All The Way To Verdict – 

The vast majority of car accident injury cases settle out of court. Even if a lawsuit is filed, it doesn’t mean that a full trial will happen; at any point before a verdict is rendered, your lawyer and your insurance company have the opportunity to reach a settlement. If your case does go all the way through all of the stages of a trial and to verdict, however, you can expect it to take a lot longer. Trials are very involved undertakings, and the court system can move slowly. However, a verdict may mean a much higher amount! 

From 2004 to 2023, one study reports that most of the federal personal injury cases that went all the way to a verdict took over a year, in some cases much longer, from the time they were filed to when they concluded.

If You Deserve A Large Settlement, Be Willing To Wait For It! 

If the value of your injuries is not significant – and only a lawyer can accurately value your injuries! – then you may want to accept a quick settlement and move on with your life, but if your lawyer believes that they can recover a higher amount for you, be patient!

There are other sources of funding that you may be able to use in the meantime to cover your expenses until your case settles. At The Florida Law Group, we frequently assist our clients with the financial aspects of their cases, and can connect you to resources that may be helpful. 

Call our car accident lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how long your case may take to settle!

It’s one of most frequently asked questions that injured car accident victims Google – how long does a car accident settlement take with a lawyer? If you were injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you can get a monetary settlement from the at-fault party’s insurance company (or your own, in some cases), but how fast you get that settlement depends on the specifics of your case. 

Faster Isn’t Always Better – Actually, It’s Usually Worse!

When it comes to resolving injury claims after a car accident, it’s important to remember that a fast settlement isn’t always good. 

Yes, it is tough to be struggling financially because of a car accident – to have the weight of all the medical bills, and/or to be out of work because you’re recovering – but quick settlements are made so quickly because they are usually lower. If you accept a quick settlement, you may end up struggling more in the long run because it may not cover all of your resulting expenses from the accident. 

Here’s a fundamental principle that every car accident victim must understand: insurance companies lose money when they pay out settlements. Because they are a for-profit business, they are concerned with their own bottom line, so losing money is a negative incident for them that they want to avoid. 

To that end, if they can offer low but fast settlements to accident victims who they know need to get their accident bills covered, they can keep more money in their own pockets. So a fast settlement is likely a low one! 

As Nolo puts it, “Many of the factors associated with successful outcomes and higher payouts also increase the average time needed to resolve claims.”

So How Long Will It Take? It Depends! 

The short answer to the question, “How long does a car accident settlement take with a lawyer?” is longer than it would without one, but again, that’s not necessarily a positive! 

One Martindale-Nolo survey analyzed responses from participants across the United States and data from thousands of federal court cases. It found that half of participants resolved their personal injury claims within two months to a year, while 30% of participants waited over a year for cases to be resolved. The overall average was 11.4 months. 

Your Case May Take Longer To Settle If…

You Negotiate With The Insurance Company – 

If you do not simply accept the insurance company’s first offer, but attempt to negotiate, you obviously won’t receive a settlement as quickly. It will take some back and forth to reach a satisfactory number. 

You Have A Lawyer – 

Negotiating on your own isn’t likely yield the kind of settlement you may be hoping for. You don’t have much negotiating power! However, with a lawyer, the insurance companies are forced to pay attention to you. A lawyer has a number of tools in their toolbox for challenging insurance companies, and extensive experience doing so. They can file motions, enter into negotiation, get second opinions, gather supporting evidence, present expert witnesses, and more in order to increase the amount you are being offered by the insurance company for your injuries. 

Doing all of these things will take more time, but also maximizes the chances of you receiving the highest possible settlement. 

More than 9 out of 10 survey participants who enlisted legal representation received a settlement, compared to 5 out of 10 who tried to do it on their own without a lawyer. Participants who hired attorneys also received an average of $77,600 compared to an average of $17,600 for those who did not hire attorneys. Every situation is unique, but those are significant differences, and any amount of time would likely make receiving that difference worth it. 

You Threaten To File, Or Do File, A Lawsuit – 

If your lawyer is confident that your interests might be best served by filing a lawsuit against the insurance company, and taking your case to trial, then this will take much longer to settle. There is a lot that has to happen to resolve a lawsuit; some reports show that the typical time from filing a lawsuit to settlement was just under a year. However, if you have a strong case, a lawsuit might be worth it because it will result in a much higher settlement. 

Participants in one survey who did file a lawsuit or threaten to were more likely to receive a settlement or award, and their payouts were almost twice as high as those who didn’t take either of those steps. 

Your Case Goes All The Way To Verdict – 

The vast majority of car accident injury cases settle out of court. Even if a lawsuit is filed, it doesn’t mean that a full trial will happen; at any point before a verdict is rendered, your lawyer and your insurance company have the opportunity to reach a settlement. If your case does go all the way through all of the stages of a trial and to verdict, however, you can expect it to take a lot longer. Trials are very involved undertakings, and the court system can move slowly. However, a verdict may mean a much higher amount! 

From 2004 to 2023, one study reports that most of the federal personal injury cases that went all the way to a verdict took over a year, in some cases much longer, from the time they were filed to when they concluded.

If You Deserve A Large Settlement, Be Willing To Wait For It! 

If the value of your injuries is not significant – and only a lawyer can accurately value your injuries! – then you may want to accept a quick settlement and move on with your life, but if your lawyer believes that they can recover a higher amount for you, be patient!

There are other sources of funding that you may be able to use in the meantime to cover your expenses until your case settles. At The Florida Law Group, we frequently assist our clients with the financial aspects of their cases, and can connect you to resources that may be helpful. 

Call our car accident lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how long your case may take to settle!