Victims can receive a settlement check within a few months when fault isn’t disputed and car accidents are minor. However, resolution may take six months or more when the consequences are greater, such as a serious injury or when a car insurance company fights over who was to blame. If a case must be settled in court, it may take a year or more to be assigned a court date.
Should I Accept the First Offer I Get After a Car Accident?
Not in most cases. It’s important to note that faster isn’t always better when seeking a car accident settlement check. Auto insurers like to offer quick settlements that don’t cover all of the victims’ hardships. They hope victims sign off on the first offer because once they’ve accepted a settlement, they can’t go back to ask for more help in a few months or a year.
That means victims are left to cover the cost of any further treatment for injury flare-ups, chronic pain, and other lingering side effects. It’s why victims sometimes must wait until their injuries have healed or have reached “maximum medical improvement” (MMI). MMI means the victim’s injury has healed as far as it will likely heal. At this point, the victims may have a long-term injury or permanent physical disability that may never recover further.
Accepting a settlement before MMI is reached could leave patients vulnerable in the future. They may receive money to pay for a night in the ER at UofL Health. Then in a few months, they realize that pain has returned, perhaps with a broken bone that hasn’t healed correctly. If a settlement has already been accepted, victims can’t seek more money from the car insurance company. They must cover the costs themselves.
A skilled Louisville car accident lawyer helps victims navigate this frustrating and unfair process. A Kaufman & Stigger Injury Lawyers, PLLC, legal representative gets aggressive to make sure insurers are accountable for every bill and every lost paycheck victims must endure.
How Can a Lawyer Help Me Get the Right Car Accident Settlement Amount and As Soon As Possible?
Our car accident attorneys go to work as soon as you contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC. We listen to what happened to you and then go over your options with you.
If you only suffered very minor injuries or it was a property damage-only crash, you may not need a lawyer to help you get fair compensation. But if your accident involves a major injury, like a broken bone or a head injury, you could end up with much more in support if you allow a lawyer to handle your case.
Fortunately, you don’t need any upfront money to hire excellent legal representation. Our lawyers work on a contingency basis. It means they don’t get paid unless they win your case for you. Then the fee comes out of the car insurance settlement check you receive.
Once you hire us, you can relax and focus on healing while we deal with unhelpful car insurance agents.
We’ll be providing these and other safeguards to make sure your family is fully supported through such a difficult time:
- Investigate Your Case: A reputable attorney will fully investigate your accident and the at-fault driver’s record. Louisville Metro Police Accident reports or Kentucky State Police collision reports will be secured. Any surveillance video that exists is obtained. Witnesses are tracked down for testimony. Accident reconstruction teams may be utilized. This evidence all makes it harder for insurance adjusters to waste time by trying to shift blame in an accident to save money.
- Contacting the Car Insurance Company Directly: If you contact the at-fault driver’s insurance company, you may be put on hold and switched around to many low-level customer service reps. Your lawyer knows how to get to someone who makes decisions and is in control of how soon your settlement gets approved.
- Reporting the Insurer to the Kentucky Department of Insurance: In some cases, auto insurance companies purposely delay settlements, hoping to make injured victims ready to accept any offer. There are laws regarding how long insurers can make victims wait and in some cases, car insurance companies are guilty of fraud. Your lawyer can file a complaint with the department and get the company in more trouble than it bargained for.
- Examining Every Settlement Request: Your Kaufman & Stigger attorney goes over every detail of a settlement offer from the insurer to make sure you are getting every benefit available. If it’s a “lowball” offer that doesn’t cover every damage you receive, your lawyer helps you reject it and demand more. If an insurer doesn’t want to accept full blame, your attorney also represents the threat of a trial. Your lawyer can file a lawsuit and take the insurer to court. Insurers usually work harder to get you a fair settlement offer when they know a lawsuit is a possibility. They want to avoid the cost of going to court and the embarrassment.
- Skilled Negotiation: Your lawyer uses years of experience to negotiate the best settlement possible for your injury.
- Helping You Survive Financially: Your lawyer can also contact medical doctors to work out payment plans or delayed payments. If you can’t work due to your injury, and a car insurance company is delaying payment, you can ask doctors to put off demanding their fees until you receive the settlement. Your lawyer can help you find doctors who will accept a promised portion of the settlement once a resolution is reached.
Contact a Louisville Car Accident Lawyer After a Collision
Victims need to be able to count on the at-fault driver’s car insurance company after a major accident. They’ll need assistance with medical bills and making ends meet each month while they can’t work. Unfortunately, car insurance providers can make it hard for victims and even purposely delay support.
If you have been seriously injured in a collision caused by a careless driver, contact a Louisville Car Accident Lawyer to schedule a free and confidential consultation. We help victims and their families earn the money they need to fully recover. You don’t have to worry about affording our help if you need it. We don’t get paid unless we win your case. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money a car insurance company must provide.
