How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take?

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How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take?

Most people in Newport Beach do not ask about settlement timelines out of curiosity. They ask because they believe they deserve one, and they want to know how long it can take to receive the compensation they are entitled to. It’s a fair (and potentially urgent) question, but the answer is not as cut and dry as you might wish.

The time it takes to secure a car accident settlement varies from case to case. The approach of insurance companies who owe you compensation, the time it takes for your injuries to reach a state of maximum medical improvement (MMI), and various other factors can lengthen or shorten the timeline for your settlement.

If you need to file a lawsuit or go to trial, those measures can extend the timeline for resolving your case.

The Newport Beach, CA, car accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP can’t control every aspect of your case, but there is plenty we can control. We approach settlement negotiations in a prepared, professional way that eliminates unnecessary delays.

If you or a loved one suffered an injury in a car accident in Newport Beach, don’t wait to contact us. Your consultation is free and comes with no pressure or risk, so don’t wait.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Key Takeaways for Newport Beach Car Accident Victims Seeking a Fair Settlement

• There is no single or fixed timeline for securing a car accident settlement in Newport Beach, as these cases can take weeks or years to resolve.
• The more severe your injuries, the longer it may take to secure a settlement because we may need to allow your injuries to heal before knowing the full cost of your damages.
• Insurance companies frequently delay cases on purpose because, if the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit expires, the insurers gain all the leverage in settlement negotiations (and may choose not to pay you at all).
• Filing a lawsuit can accelerate meaningful negotiations rather than slowing them down, as liable parties may recognize that we aren’t bluffing when we say we will take the case to trial.
• Should your case go to court, it will extend the timeline for your case (but the financial result may be worth the added time).
• Our Newport Beach car accident lawyers work tirelessly until our cases are complete, so do not wait to contact Bentley & More LLP today for your free consultation.

Why “How Long Will This Take?” Is Not Always the Right Question for Car Accident Victims in Newport Beach

It’s fair to wonder how long your car accident claim or lawsuit will take. However, this is an impossible question for even an experienced, savvy attorney to answer.

Your lawyer can’t know if it will take days, weeks, months, or more than a year to resolve your case. They may get a better idea of the rough timeline as your case goes on, but they can’t tell the future.

Rather than worrying about exactly how long your case will take, you might ask some more helpful alternative questions to your lawyer, including:

• What needs to happen before you (the lawyer) can secure a settlement?
• What can I do to strengthen our negotiating position, if anything?
• Does it seem like the insurance companies are handling the claim in good faith?
• Can this go to court? If so, how might that affect the timeline of the case?

Our Newport Beach car accident lawyers keep clients informed. You won’t have to ask us these questions, as we will proactively answer them for you. However, if you have any unanswered questions about your case, we welcome them.

In Orange County, particularly in Newport Beach, car accident cases frequently involve high-value vehicles, multiple insurance policies, professional drivers, and injuries that affect victims for months, if not years (or for the remainder of their lives). These and other realities can make car accident claims and lawsuits complicated, and such cases take time to sort out.

Here’s our promise to clients: You won’t have to wait a moment longer than necessary on our account. We want car accident victims to move on with their lives as soon as possible, and there will be no unnecessary delays on our end.

Steps You Might Immediately Take to Contribute to an Efficient Resolution of Your Car Accident Case

If you want to secure your car accident settlement as soon as possible, start by retaining an attorney from our team as soon as you can.

There is no time for delay after a car accident, and we will start building your case from the moment you hire us. Your Newport Beach car accident lawyer will also ensure no insurance company or other hostile party violates your rights or compromises your effort to get fair compensation.

The Early Weeks After a Crash Matter More Than Most People Realize

The timeline of a settlement is often shaped within the first few weeks after a crash, long before any negotiation begins. The pivotal period just after your accident underscores the need to retain our team right away.

During this period, shortly after the collision, several subtle but critical developments may occur:

• Insurance companies begin evaluating how expensive your injuries may become
• Those insurers may approach you about making one or more statements about the collision
• Evolving medical records start to tell a story about how your recovery may unfold
• Insurance companies may offer you a settlement, which is likely to be a lowball settlement

At the same time, our team will be gathering evidence and documentation that can prove crucial to your claim. Car accident cases move forward quickly, and even a slight delay can put you at a disadvantage, so don’t wait to engage our team.

Insurance Companies May Intentionally Delay Your Car Accident Settlement. Here Is Why.

While our car accident lawyers’ goal is to get clients paid as efficiently as possible, insurance companies sometimes seem to take the opposite approach.

Insurers often deliberately slow down the process. The longer a claim drags on, the more pressure an injured person feels to accept less than full value. If the insurance companies can delay long enough, the victim may even lose their right to file a lawsuit (and, therefore, their negotiating leverage).

These delay tactics might stretch the timeframe for a car accident case. We don’t let them, as we demand good faith and urgency from each insurer we deal with.

Your Newport Beach car accident attorney from Bentley & More LLP will be ready for insurers’ common delay tactics, which include:

• Repeated requests for records that we have already provided
• Claiming more investigation is needed without explaining why
• Disputing your treatment as excessive without medical support for such claims
• Making lowball settlement offers

These tactics are especially common when injuries are catastrophic (i.e., expensive) or when liability appears clear, so insurers must resort to gamesmanship. In such cases, delay becomes a last-ditch strategy.

Lawsuits: An Option That Can Extend Your Case Timeline (or, Perhaps, Speed It Up)

When insurance companies handle car accident claims in bad faith, our attorneys sometimes need to show them that we aren’t playing games. Filing a lawsuit can, more than anything, be a warning to insurers that if they don’t start negotiating in good faith, we will take the case to trial.

A lawsuit may be necessary when:

• Insurers deny liability for the claimant’s losses
• The insurer refuses to reflect the client’s future damages in their settlement offers
• Policy limits and multiple defendants complicate negotiations

The statistics show that most personal injury cases settle, even when the car accident victim needs to file a lawsuit. This is a testament to how filing a lawsuit can motivate liable parties to negotiate more earnestly and ultimately offer the compensation the car accident victim deserves.

Yes, filing a lawsuit can introduce additional steps that might increase the total time a case takes. Conversely, the filing of a lawsuit might kickstart settlement negotiations into higher gear and compel liable parties to offer a fair settlement more quickly than they otherwise would.

It is difficult to know whether filing a lawsuit will ultimately lengthen or shorten the time a car accident case takes. We just know that when filing a lawsuit is in our client’s best interests, we don’t hesitate to take such legal action.

When No Fair Settlement Offer Comes, We Resort to Trial

Trials take time. That’s one reason why they are relatively rare among car accident cases. However, how long a case takes is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that the car accident victim receives the compensation they deserve.

If liable parties refuse to pay what you deserve, going to trial may be your best option. That’s why our Newport Beach car accident lawyers always prepare car accident cases as if a trial is a realistic possibility.

Car accident cases may be more likely to require a trial when they involve:

• Catastrophic injuries with lifelong consequences
• Commercial or corporate defendants
• Defective motor vehicle components
• Governmental defendants

Our experience with complex litigation allows us to assess whether a trial is likely and prepare accordingly. We will also explain what a possible trial would mean for your case timeline and solicit your thoughts about the prospect of going to court.

Qualities You Might Seek in Your Newport Beach Car Accident Lawyer

You want a fair settlement. You should seek a Newport Beach car accident lawyer who is capable of securing one, and of taking your case to trial if necessary.

Many clients tell us they value:

• Our history of substantial results, which gives them confidence that we will succeed in their own cases
• Our direct, honest manner of communication
• The consistent attention we show to their case (which is possible because we limit our case and client load)
• Our regular updates
• Our thorough understanding of medicine and mental health, not just law

Our personalized case strategies are designed not only to provide immediate financial relief but also to support our clients’ long-term recovery.

Case quality matters. Attention matters. Experience matters. You matter to the team at Bentley & More LLP.

Frequently Asked Questions by Victims Seeking Settlements After Car Accidents in Newport Beach

Some questions you might be mulling over after a car accident in Newport Beach are:

Should I wait until I am fully healed to settle?

Not necessarily, but your doctors must accurately project future needs before you accept any settlement. We will be in tune with your healing journey and provide personalized advice on this specific topic.

Can my case settle if I file a lawsuit?

Yes. Many cases settle after the car accident victim has filed a lawsuit.

Will hiring a lawyer slow down my case?

Our lawyers are deliberate in their approach, as accuracy and thoroughness are always more important than speed.

However, our extensive experience with car accident claims lawsuits allows us to proceed confidently and efficiently. For these reasons, hiring our firm can actually help your case move forward more rapidly.

Don’t Wait to Call for Your Free Consultation About Hiring a Newport Beach Car Accident Lawyer

There have been years when Orange County has seen progress in terms of traffic accidents. Yet, we see firsthand how innocent people become victims of car accidents in California every single day. If you or a loved one is one of those victims, get the trustworthy representation you deserve.

California limits the time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident, which is another reason to contact us right away. Contact Bentley & More LLP for your free consultation about retaining a personal injury lawyer in Newport Beach, CA.

Our attorneys only receive a fee when the client receives a financial settlement or verdict, so there is no stress in hiring us.

Schedule a Free Consultation