Accidents and injuries can turn your life upside down. You might be eager to finish up your personal injury settlement because of all the bills you need to get paid, but you could be wondering why it’s taking so long. Unfortunately, most personal injury cases aren’t settled very quickly, so you need to practice some patience while you’re dealing with insurance companies and the individual who caused your injury. The following are some reasons it could take a while.
More Serious Injuries
When your injuries are more serious, it’s going to take longer for you to really understand the full extent of them. Your attorney might recommend you wait a while so you can receive more medical care and truly understand what your health is going to look like in the future.
Initially, your injuries may seem minor, but after a while, your doctor may discover other injuries and issues that were caused by your accident. For example, the doctor may have initially recommended physical therapy, but you might end up needing a serious surgery after all. It’s important you have all of this information to make the most of your claim, and it could take some time.
Disputes About Your Claim
If an insurance adjuster determines you were partially at fault for the accident, the insurance company may dispute your claim. There are other issues that could cause a dispute to take place as well. Ask your attorney to thoroughly investigate the accident that caused your injury to avoid these types of disputes, but realize they often happen anyway, as the insurance company is trying to minimize the situation.
Keeping track of as much evidence as possible is one way to prevent a dispute. If you have photos, witnesses and experts who can testify in your favor, that may be just the proof you need to keep the disputes at a minimum.
Negotiations
If the insurance company is willing to negotiate, it could end up taking some time. It’s up to you and your lawyer how many times you’re willing to go back and forth. It’s important during this time you don’t just give in and accept an offer because you want to get it over with. If it comes down to it, you may decide to sue the person responsible for your injuries so you can receive a favorable compensation when the insurance company is being difficult.
Contacting a Lawyer With Questions
When you are injured in an accident, you should be given compensation to cover your medical bills. Contact an abogado de lesiones personales in Canoga Park, CA, like from Unidos Legales, today with any questions you have regarding your case.