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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.
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:
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.
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.
Chris O’Brien is a nationally recognized personal injury attorney with over 30 years of experience fighting for accident victims in Western New York. A founding partner at O’Brien & Ford, he has helped recover millions for clients and built a reputation as a top trial lawyer and educator. Chris is a Diplomate of the National College of Advocacy, a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and was named one of Western New York’s Top Ten Lawyers by Buffalo Business First. He lives in Amherst with his family and their Bernedoodle, Moose.
Years of experience: 33 years
Practice areas: Personal Injury Law, Car Accidents
Location: Buffalo, New York
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Buffalo Personal Injury Lawyer. Choose the 2’s.
With over 80 years of combined experience, the Buffalo personal injury lawyers at O’Brien & Ford, PC are here to fight for the justice you deserve. Call us today at (716) 222-2222 to schedule your free consultation with one of our top-rated attorneys.
Chris and his staff are top notch professionals that you definitely want in your corner if you are injured and in need of an attorney . 10 years later and I’m still thankful daily that I contacted Chris for his representation. Keep fighting the good fight.
John Ford is the definition of professional, knowledgeable, and compassion. His instincts and attention to detail are second to none. He treats you like a family friend not just a client. I would recommend O’Brien & Ford to anyone who wants results.
Chris Pannozzo handled 2 consecutive cases of mine. He is very knowledgeable and thorough . Chris will not rush to settle a case. He makes sure everything is taken care of correctly, so you obtain the largest settlement.Chris is very down to earth and personable. Chris met with me near my home to sign paperwork and offered to come to my home. He responded to my text message on the weekend. This amazed me. I’ve had lawyers that don’t respond to messages on a weekd...
One of the best decisions I made was choosing O’Brien & Ford to represent me. A person can do no better than to have Chris and Anant and their wonderful staff working with you. From the moment we first talked with Chris at our home, my wife and I knew we needed to look no further for representation. At no point during the process of our case did this excellent firm disappoint nor steer us wrong. We trusted their opinions, guidance and ethics at all times throughout all...
Chris is a tireless advocate for his clients. He always goes above and beyond to ensure the best possible result.
Back in 2017 I was involved a major car accident that left me with back injuries. Afterwards, I went to a couple big name attorneys and they all denied my case for reasons unknown. This left me feeling down and out with amd in an unfortunate situation, but that was until I called O’Brian & Ford. My case was picked up and accepted by the wonderful, Mr. John Ford, and my lawsuit began. He fought for me for almost 3 years without giving up and my case was FINALLY sett...
Attorney Anant Kishore really pulled through for me after I endured a serious neck injury after being t-boned by a drunk driver. After such a traumatic event, Anant and his team compassionately guided me through the legal hoops I needed to jump through to get a very favorable settlement to help pay for my medical bills. I am not from the Buffalo area but was recommended this firm unanimously by my friends snd family in the area. I truly don’t know where I’d be today if i...
Chris O’Brien is a nationally recognized personal injury attorney with over 30 years of experience fighting for accident victims in Western New York. A founding partner at O’Brien & Ford, he has helped recover millions for clients and built a reputation as a top trial lawyer and educator. Chris is a Diplomate of the National College of Advocacy, a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and was named one of Western New York’s Top Ten Lawyers by Buffalo Business First. He lives in Amherst with his family and their Bernedoodle, Moose.
Years of experience: 33 years
Practice areas: Personal Injury Law, Car Accidents
Location: Buffalo, New York
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Attorney Chris O’Brien, who has more than 33 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.
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