How Long Does It Take To Resolve A Rear End Car Accident Claim?

A claim gets resolved when the associated case has been settled. A case can get settled at various points. That fact indicates that there is no one timeline for the process of resolving the claim that has resulted from a rear end car accident.

An early settlement would be possible.

If the other driver was at-fault, and the passenger had shown proof of the link between the accident and the passenger’s injuries, then an early settlement would seem possible. That would mean resolution of the claim after passage of only about 90 days.

The case might get settled during a discovery session.

During discovery, the 2 sides exchange their evidence. If an investigation has uncovered new evidence, that could push the defendant to reach an agreement with the plaintiff.

The case might get settled during the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

That is the time when both sides take part in a mediation session. Both parties see how successful their arguments might be. That discovery could hasten the attainment of a settlement.

A trial follows the ADR.

A trial forces acceptance of a jury’s decision. The jury’s verdict manages to resolve the dispute created by the accident. That verdict might be announced a full 2 years after the day of the collision. A lucky plaintiff receives the anticipated reward after a 2-year wait. Understand, though, that the 2 sides could settle at any time, during the course of the trial.

If a plaintiff is not so lucky, the defendant might file an appeal. That would force the plaintiff’s lawyer to search for additional pieces of evidence. Once an appeal has been filed, a second trial might be scheduled.

The danger in hoping for a speedy resolution

If a plaintiff focuses on getting a claim resolved, and receiving the requested compensation as soon as possible, that act could lead to a failure to study the full extent of the injuries. If an injury goes overlooked, then a plaintiff might settle with an insurance company before all the accident victims had reached the stage of maximum medical improvement (MMI)

An experienced Personal Injury Lawyer in Sudbury will not agree to settle with an insurance company until every recovering victim has reached the point of his or her MMI. That fact underlines the wisdom behind moving ahead at a reasonable pace.

The money from a quick settlement might seem of benefit to the plaintiff. Still, once a case has been settled out-of-court, the decision cannot be appealed. If some complication develops in one of the victims, the insurance company cannot be asked to cover the additional medical expenses. The plaintiff must handle those without receiving any help from the insurance company. It pays to exercise patience.