If you were injured in a car accident in Buffalo, NY, you will want to know how long it takes before you can collect on a settlement. After all, you might have mounting medical bills, lost wages, and other costs that come with being in an accident. Time is critical when you are overwhelmed with these costs.
Personal injury claims exist to help accident victims recover financially after an accident in Buffalo, New York. However, there is no certain timetable or deadline for settling a personal injury case in New York. An experienced Buffalo car accident lawyer can help move your claim forward and help you reach a settlement to address your damages. Generally, the sooner you start the process, the sooner you might be able to see a settlement to your personal injury claim.
Contact the experiences attorneys from O’Brien & Ford Buffalo Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to speak with a Buffalo car accident lawyer and learn more about how long it will take your car accident case to settle, call us today at (716) 222 2222.
How O’Brien & Ford Buffalo Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You With a Car Accident Settlement
Navigating the car accident settlement process can be complex. The dedicated Buffalo car accident lawyers at O’Brien & Ford Buffalo Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers have 84 years of combined experience helping accident victims like you.
When you hire us, you can count on our Buffalo personal injury lawyers to do the following:
- Investigate your claim
- Discuss your options
- Gather evidence
- Handle communications with insurance companies
- Negotiate for a fair settlement
- Represent you at trial if a settlement agreement cannot be reached
A number of different factors can affect the timeline of a car accident settlement. Contact our law office in Buffalo, NY, to learn more about what factors can impact how long a case takes to settle.
How Can No-Fault Insurance Affect My Settlement?
New York is a no-fault insurance state, meaning you must first file a claim with your own auto insurance provider. No-fault insurance is also referred to as personal injury protection (PIP). Through this part of your policy, a certain amount of your damages will be covered by your own insurer. This often depends on your policy terms and the costs involved (medical bills, lost wages, etc.).
Even when dealing with your own insurance company, it helps to have legal guidance to avoid lowball offers and denials of claims.
How Can My Medical Treatment Impact the Settlement Timeline?
After more serious car accidents, the severity of your injuries can prevent you from taking action quickly. In all accident cases, you should seek immediate medical treatment regardless of the level of injuries. Receiving treatment and having that documented is critical to your personal injury claim.
Unfortunately, initial medical treatment can last days, weeks, or even months in severe cases. The need to focus on your health and recovery first can delay the filing of an insurance claim or lawsuit. For these reasons, more serious car accident claims can take longer to settle.
Some examples of serious injuries after a car accident can include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Loss of limbs
- Internal bleeding or organ damage
- Broken bones and fractures
You and your lawyer will need to know the full scope of your injuries before agreeing to a settlement. If injuries linger or can cause long-term or permanent damage, you do not want to quickly settle your claim.
How Can Insurance Delays Influence My Settlement?
Sometimes, you do everything that’s needed and requested on time, but the insurance company takes longer than expected. This can be for various reasons. Insurers might either accept your claim and pay the requested settlement, send a counteroffer to your proposal, or deny your claim completely.
Unfortunately, an insurance adjuster rarely accepts an accident victim’s claim right away. Insurance companies profit by avoiding large settlements and minimizing claims when they can. This can lead to low counteroffers, stall tactics, or denials (including bad-faith denials of claims).
In these situations, a lawyer can help negotiate and speed up the claims process. If the insurance company does not cooperate, they can file a lawsuit on your behalf.
How Can Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer Help Me Receive a Settlement?
Trying to obtain a settlement on your own is hard work and can delay your claim unnecessarily. In some cases, trying to take on an insurance company on your own can lead to a flat-out denial of your settlement offer. For these reasons, it helps to hire a car accident lawyer with an extensive background in car accident settlements.
An experienced legal team will be familiar with New York law regarding personal injury claims, including the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit in your case. They also know how to confront insurance companies that play games with claimants. The sooner you can get your case to a skilled Buffalo car accident lawyer, the sooner you might see a settlement check in your case.
Can the Cause of a Car Accident Delay My Settlement?
Often, the cause of the car accident itself can set the timeline for a settlement. In a minor accident involving non-threatening injuries and an amount of damage that is straightforward to calculate, a settlement might not take long.
After a serious car crash with substantial injuries or fatalities, medical bills, and property damage, time will be needed to assess all damages involved. This can mean extended negotiations and a settlement that takes longer to finalize. Usually, this is a good thing for accident victims because it allows time to factor in all potential injuries – including long-term or permanent injuries.
Serious accidents can also involve more witnesses, more physical evidence, video footage, and the need for expert analysis. More evidence means a longer time frame for settlement.
Contact a Buffalo Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you have been injured in a car accident in Buffalo, NY, the stress involved with medical bills and other costs can be overwhelming during your physical recovery. Ideally, a settlement payment will come quickly in a car accident claim. However, several key factors can affect when you get paid.
Our experienced Buffalo car accident lawyers know how to cut through the obstacles that can delay your settlement unnecessarily. Contact O’Brien & Ford Buffalo Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers and get your car accident claim started today.