A car accident settlement can take anywhere between a few months to over a year – or even longer, depending on the complexity of the case and the severity of your injuries. Factors that can impact claim timelines include your medical recovery and whether liability is clear-cut and easy to determine.
Having our experienced Tacoma car accident lawyers on your side can help expedite claim timelines and reduce the risk of delays. You can call NextLaw to get a more accurate estimate on your particular case.
General Timeline for Car Accident Settlements in Washington State
Below is a general outline of the steps in making a car accident settlement. Your specific timeline may differ depending on the specifics of your case, but a lawyer from NextLaw can help chart a timeline based on your circumstances.
Here are the typical steps involved in reaching a car accident settlement in Washington:
- Evidence collection. The first step of any car accident settlement is gathering evidence. This includes photographic/video evidence, eyewitness statements, medical records, and police accident reports. Evidence collection should be completed within a few weeks after the crash.
- Demand letters. Once you have evidence collected and a calculation of your losses, a lawyer can send a demand letter to insurers. The demand letter explains the situation and enumerates the financial damages you are seeking.
- Settlement negotiations. After receiving the demand letter, the claim process enters negotiations. This is a back-and-forth process of offers and counteroffers. A lawyer can negotiate to push back if the insurance companies try to underpay or dispute your losses.
- Formal litigation. If settlement negotiations don’t work out, a lawyer can escalate the case to formal litigation to compel payment. During litigation, each side will present evidence and arguments, and a jury will decide on whether to grant damages.
Assuming absolutely ideal circumstances, a claim can be resolved in as little as three to six months. However, more complicated cases that go to formal litigation can extend to well over a year and beyond.
For a free legal consultation, call (253) 238-2558
Factors That Can Impact Claim Timelines
Below are some of the most relevant factors that can affect your claim’s timeline. At NextLaw, we can work within these constraints to minimize your claim length as much as possible.
Injury Severity
All other things being equal, car accidents involving severe injuries take longer to litigate. This is because you usually want to wait until you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) before your claim is finalized. MMI is the highest level of recovery you can be expected to make given your injuries.
MMI is often an important factor in these cases because it allows parties to determine what kind of medical care and support you’ll need in the future. With severe injuries, it can take a long time to reach MMI, which makes your claim take longer.
Liability Disputes
In some car accidents, liability is clear-cut and difficult to argue against. In others, however, liability can be much more complicated to determine. This might be the case in multi-vehicle crashes involving several drivers, or cases where the injury victim is partially responsible for the accident.
Number of Litigants
Similarly, the total number of litigants can extend claim timelines. Having multiple liable parties may require making multiple insurance claims simultaneously. Coordinating action between all these different insurers can make a relatively simple claim take months longer.
Evidentiary Volume
Claim timelines also depend on what evidence is available. Claims with ample evidence, such as photos, video recordings, eyewitness statements, and vehicle black box data, are much easier to evaluate and reach a decision. If evidence is thin or ambiguous, it is much harder to present determinate proof of injury scope, severity, and liability.
Cooperation from Insurers
Another significant factor is how well the insurance company complies. Insurance companies are notorious for disputing and denying claims, even when you present a strong case. A lawyer can firmly respond to insurance company tactics and prevent them from dragging out the case to your detriment.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Washington?
In most car accident cases, Washington’s personal injury statute of limitations gives you three years to file a lawsuit. The three-year timer starts counting from the date the accident happened or the date you discovered you had injuries. Once three years pass, you will lose your legal claim to financial damages.
You technically can still file after three years. However, your request will almost certainly be denied. As such, your best option is to start early by calling a car accident lawyer from NextLaw.
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Call Dan Next: Car Accident Lawyers in Tacoma
Injured in a car accident? Call Dan Next! To learn how long your car accident settlement may take in Washington, call to speak to our personal injury lawyers in Tacoma at NextLaw. We have over 100 years of combined legal experience and a proven track record of successful settlements and verdicts.
Call or text (253) 238-2558 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form