Waiting is one of the hardest parts when you are trying to figure out what will take place after your accident. It only makes sense that you want to make sure you do not have to pay anything out of pocket. You want your medical bills to be covered and your damages taken care of. Unfortunately, the claims process does not typically move that fast. A Tulsa truck accident lawyer can help you make sure you have all the right documentation to get things moving as smoothly as possible.
Why Does a Truck Accident Settlement Take So Long?
There is no set amount of time a truck accident will take. Unfortunately, there is no formula to expect what you may receive yours. There are many variables and it will depend on your specific circumstances.
Thankfully, most truck accidents will follow steps so you can get an idea of where you are at in the process. If your case is straightforward, it may go through within weeks. However, if you have a large or complex case, it could take months or even years.
Factors That May Influence The Length of a Claim Settlement
As your case gets moving, some situations could slow the process down. There are important parts of the case and have the potential to create complexity.
- Witness statements: If you have to track down witnesses, this part could take a while and then the witnesses would still need to schedule the interviews with your lawyer for the case.
- Liability questions: If it is not clear who was at fault for the accident, or if fault is shared between two or more parties, it could take longer than usual to establish fault.
- Claim size: The more about damages you are trying to claim, the more aggressive the insurance company is going to try to defend itself.
Typical Timeline of a Car Accident Claim
While it is impossible in the beginning to predict how long the claim will take, knowing the basic timeline can give you an idea to see where in the process you are.
Your Lawyer Will Send a Demand Letter
Once you understand what the costs of your injury is, along with projected expenses and lost income, you can try to get that compensation from the person at fault. Your truck accident attorney will start by sending a demand letter with what you are seeking and why they are liable for it.
Negotiation
The initial demand letter is sometimes accepted, but the insurance company of the at-fault party will often not agree. If this is the case, it could turn into a few rounds of negotiation to try and find an agreement that works for everyone.
File a Lawsuit
A lawsuit takes place when the injured party serves the at-fault party with a complaint. That needs to happen before the time frame for the statute of limitations is up, which is two years in Oklahoma.
Discovery
This part of the investigation will involve the parties putting together their information from each other to try and prove liability. Depending on the complexity of this case, it could take a while.
Negotiation
Unless the parties agree to an amount for the settlement after discovery, your attorney will go into more negotiations. It is common to go through a few rounds before reaching an agreement.
Secure Your Settlement
When the negotiation is complete and there is an agreement, you can expect to receive your financial compensation without a trial. It usually does not take too long to receive it once you both agree on the amount.
Contact Gorospe Law Group For Help With Your Truck Accident Claim
Do not let yourself be left out trying to figure out when your claim will be processed. Let a Tulsa truck accident attorney help walk you through each step so you know where you are at for every phase of the process. Contact us to schedule a consultation.