How long for a settlement check for bodily injury & how much?

Question

Husband was injured in car accident in Jan 2007, serious injury to arm, finished with dr's appts. and physical therapy, ready to settle. How long does this usualy take, and how much is good settlement? All dr's bills and hospital bills have already been submitted. Do make a settlement offer first or let them and work from there?

One website estimated with dr's bills and lost wages, about $24,000-$47,00. Does this seem right? I was thinking about $30,00 because of the permanent scarring abd stuff like that but i have no clue.

Answer 1

Contrary to what many people will tell you, the insurance company wants to settle your claim fairly & quickly. They have plenty of claims to keep busy without drawing a claim out unnecessarily.

If the liability of their insured is clear (at fault) they will review your medical expenses to ensure the treatment has been within expected parameters for the injury sustained. & arrive at a settlement offer based upon the total medical bills , all lost wages , any other reasonable expenses incurred , & then an amount to address "pain & suffering/permanent disfigurement"

If the offer is not reasonable in your opinion ask the claims adjuster to explain how they arrived at that figure. Most often they are very glad to break down the numbers.

Nothing wrong w asking for more if you feel the offer isn't fair. In most cases the number is well within reason as the company is not looking to face litigation if avoidable. Enlisting an attorney may not be necessary if you feel the numbers are "right"

If you feel the offer is on target & accept the offer you could have the check as soon as 2-3 days. Again, we don't stay in business by being unreasonable.....bad PR isn't worth it.

However some folks hold out for numbers resembling "lottery" payout without basis. In those cases a check can take a very long time & you securing an attorney may be necessary.

But don't fall into the trap many try to utilize by saying "I'll get an attorney" That does NOT intimidate an adjuster, & the ins co has plenty of attorneys on staff, you may be sure. Making an unreasonable settlement demand just moves the claim from an adjuster to an attorney, & may not net you additional funds.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying it's bad for you to get a lawyer, but why give up 1/3 of your settlement if it's not necessary. Drop me an email if I can answer any other questions. Good Luck !!

Answer 2

There is no set amount of time you will wait or on how much you will receive. It all depends on how good your lawyer is and if you go to court or not, how stubborn the other person's INS company is.

I was in a wreck when I was 17 and all the bills and recovery was done in about 6 months, but did not receive a check for about 2 years after the accident. You most likely will not receive anything until later this year as a minimum, or up to 3 years from now as a maximum. It is how the INS company's are.