When the fault in a motorcycle accident is clear, a claim may be resolved within a few weeks or months. It’s when an at-fault driver or an insurance provider doesn’t accept the blame or argues over the severity of the injury that cases can drag on for months or longer.
When insurers refuse to accept any blame and decide to reject a claim outright, resolution could take a year or longer. A lawsuit might have to be filed and simply getting a court date can take up to 12 months.
Injured riders need to remember that a quick injury settlement isn’t always better. Victims may sign off on a quickly extended settlement offer and then later find their injuries flare back up. Additional surgeries or physical therapy could be needed. At this point, once a settlement has already been signed, the victims can’t seek more money from the auto insurance company. Injured victims must get the financial help they need as soon as possible, but they must also make sure settlements cover all of their physical, emotional, and financial damages.
How Long Should I Wait On a Traffic Accident Settlement?
Every motorcycle collision case is very different and some cases take only weeks to resolve. When a motorcycle crash only involves a damaged motorcycle or some very minor injuries, like scratches or bruising, a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurer might be reached quickly.
It’s when serious injuries are the result and medical bills will be high, that insurance providers look for ways to get out of paying what’s fair. They will attempt to blame the rider for the accident or question the severity of injuries. This refusal to accept the facts can prolong a settlement battle for half a year or longer.
It can become a long fight for injured victims who may be unable to work and have no chance of paying their hospital bills. They can also fall behind on regular monthly bills like rent, a mortgage, or credit card payments.
These are just a few things that may extend your wait during a motorcycle accident settlement negotiation:
- When insurance companies try to shift blame in the motorcycle accident
- When an insurance company is purposely delaying a response so you’ll become desperate
- When insurance companies try to use the fine print in contracts to escape accountability
- When insurance companies try to downplay how bad your injuries are
- When insurance companies pressure you to settle before all of your injuries have fully healed
- When insurance companies won’t accept fault and victims must take them to court
It’s often best for victims to wait until they’ve reached full recovery before deciding how much they should demand in a settlement. This way a lawyer will know the exact total on medical bills with hopefully no more care and cost in the future. But not all injuries heal quickly. A broken bone may require several surgeries over multiple years. Sometimes a claim must be filed before full recovery, depending on a skilled lawyer to estimate, with the help of medical experts, the support the client could need in the years ahead.
How Can an Attorney Help Your Motorcycle Accident Case?
Your Maison Law attorney monitors everything the auto insurance company does. Your attorney checks over every settlement offer and uses an experienced eye to determine if it’s a “lowball” offer. Your lawyer works on your behalf to reject these types of offers and demands more.
When insurance companies go weeks without contacting you about your claim, your lawyer takes action. Insurance adjusters often use delay tactics to leave you desperate for financial help, so you’ll accept any inadequate injury settlement they extend.
These are some other helpful protections a skilled motorcycle accident attorney provides:
- Contact the Insurer Directly: Your lawyer would contact the insurance provider directly to warn their employees about shady behavior and behavior that is less than compassionate towards an injured rider.
- Report the Insurance Company: California actually has laws that enforce deadlines for car insurance companies. They must respond to your claim in a certain amount of time and decide whether they’ll accept or reject your claim in a reasonable period. Your lawyer would report them to the California Department of Insurance if necessary.
- Back Your Case With Evidence: Your California motorcycle accident lawyer fully investigates your case and backs it with all available evidence. This is the best defense against insurance tactics. It makes it very hard for insurers to question your claim and refuse help with recovery costs.
- Helping With Medical Bills: An experienced lawyer can also help you locate good doctors who are willing to delay medical bills for your care. Some physicians and hospitals will agree to a “medical lien” that puts off bills. The doctor is guaranteed payment when the victim has earned an injury settlement or judgment.
- The Threat of a Lawsuit: A Maison Law attorney also represents the threat of a lawsuit. If a car insurance company isn’t acting fairly and accepting responsibility, your attorney would have a strong case prepared to take the insurer to court. This threat is often enough to get insurance companies back to the negotiating table. They want to avoid the cost and embarrassment of having their behavior examined by a judge and jury. Victims are often handed a much more suitable settlement amount when a lawsuit is a real possibility.
Your lawyer handles the frustrating back-and-forth of negotiation with as little disruption to you and your family as possible. You are given this time to focus on healing and returning to the motorcycle rides you love. You can rest easy that your experienced attorney is securing the maximum in compensation available.
When Do I Need the Help of a California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
Your California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer serves as a protection against any shady attempt to rob you and your family of support after a careless driver’s mistake. Your lawyer also demands the most compensation for the injury possible on your behalf.
Contact Maison Law for a free, no-obligation consultation. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your injury is worth and what you should be holding an insurance company to.
If you do feel we can help you earn more for your injury, there’s no need to worry about having the money to hire us. We work under a contingency agreement and don’t get paid unless we win your case. Then our fee is paid out of the award a car insurance company must pay you.
