Experiencing a car accident is not a pleasant thing. When it happens, those who experience it have a thousand questions in their mind. However, it needs to be said that not all of them require an immediate answer. Maintain your calm and focus on those that matter.
First, make sure that undergo an examination and see whether you are injured in the process. If not start taking photographs of the site, to make your case even stronger in court. Naturally, this is not possible if you have suffered some injuries in this sort of accident. That part will have to wait.
No matter how light or severe injuries are, claiming compensation should be high on the list of priorities for you. In case you need some help with making a claim, be sure to consult www.horwitzlaw.com. Now, let’s take a look at all the crucial elements of the process, and how much you should wait for a payout.
Medical Treatment
As we’ve said, the first thing you should do is undergo medical attention. Doctors will evaluate your position and will provide you with a report on the injuries you’ve suffered. Based on that report, the person who has suffered these will understand the treatment and how long the recovery process will last.
No matter what happens, tending to your health condition is the most important thing. After the doctor makes a full report that includes all the necessary factors like the treatment, medications, and the recovery process, it is possible to use it to make your case as strong as it can be.
However, there is one more factor that’s important to take into consideration. If you didn’t opt to see the doctor immediately, there is a chance that the insurance adjuster will not consider your injuries too severe, which can create a problem for you in the long run. You should always bear that in mind.
Preliminary Investigation
After you hire an attorney, you can expect that a professional will conduct an investigation. The investigation is a procedure where the attorney will gather all the relevant proofs and documentation. All of them combined will make your case much stronger.
Sometimes, the attorney will need to use some other methods like interviewing the witnesses, talking with the police officer to get all the much-needed reports. Besides that, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at the client’s previous injuries and see whether some other consequences can be expected.
There is one aspect that we want to point out as significant. There’s absolutely no doubt that the other driver’s insurer will also conduct its investigation. While this is not a competition, both of these professionals want to make the cases of their clients as strong as they can be.
Demand Package
After the investigation is carried out, the attorney will create something that’s called a demand package. It will be sent to the other driver’s insurer. The package we have mentioned consists of a wide array of different elements, mainly those we have already mentioned previously in this article of ours.
Besides the medical report and all that comes with it, the package will also include all the ways the injury has affected your way of life. In case you are prevented to work because of the recovery process, this can be a possibility to ask for higher compensation, which is a preferable option.
In some cases, these injuries are not only physical but can also be mental. Some of them can prevent a patient to work in the future. That’s the moment when things can get complicated. People who are permanently prevented from working will look for much higher compensation.
Negotiations
An answer to the demand package can last for up to a couple of months. So, arm yourself with patience. It can even happen that the other driver’s insurer will reject the proposal immediately. But if they answer, they can make a counteroffer, in which these demands will be significantly lower.
What happens next solely depends on how strong the case is, and how competent the attorney is. An experienced attorney should be flexible and persuasive at the same time. Making a counteroffer after a counteroffer is the art of negotiation. You can be sure that this is something not everyone can achieve.
How Much Time Until a Payout?
When it comes to discussing how much time you need to wait until a payout, this is not a simple question to answer. The reason is rather simple. Each one of these cases is unique for a wide array of different reasons. So, drawing a parallel between them is simply not possible.
The most important factor to take into consideration is the severity of the injuries. Besides that, all other circumstances that have led to the accident will be taken into account. Not to mention that, let’s say, the accuracy of the medical reports will play a crucial role in making this process as short as possible.
It goes without saying that more straightforward cases will require much less time. However, complications can arise when you need them the least. That’s why it is essential to make the case as strong and straightforward as possible. It needs to be said that this is not always possible.
However, many people do not understand that even the most straightforward cases can take up to six months before the settlement. With more complex cases, the procedure can last for a couple of years. There are numerous examples of cases lasting for three, four, or five years.
The Bottom Line
As we’ve said, this is a long process and arming yourself with patience is the most important thing to take into consideration. In this article of ours, we’ve pointed out all the most significant factors that make this procedure what it is. Having an inside into all of them should be a priority for you. We are assured that you will find all of them essential in having an utmost understanding.
