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How Long Does It Take to Get a Car Accident Settlement in Chicago?

Posted on March 5, 2023

Suppose you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to an automobile accident caused by another party’s carelessness. In that case, you may be waiting on an insurance settlement for quite some time. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and your property damage. Consulting with a Chicago accident attorney can help expedite this process and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Gaining your rightful compensation can often be an arduous task. Like most car accident victims, you will likely wonder how long it will take to resolve your car accident settlement in Chicago.

Quite a few factors determine when you will receive your settlement. Since aggressive insurance companies want to hang on to as much money as they can for as long as they can, determining the liable party can sometimes be a headache, especially when multiple parties are involved in the accident.

Insurance Settlements Resolve the Majority of Cases

Most car accident cases are determined through settlements offered by insurance carriers. Each party involved in an automobile accident must promptly report the details of the accident to their insurance carrier. Each respective insurance company will open an investigation and review evidence from the collision in an effort to determine fault.

Often, there will be communication between insurance carriers to determine whether there is shared liability. Often, this process can take between weeks and months to resolve. Most of these suits never require a personal injury lawsuit as settlements are typically reached, and a final amount is agreed upon.

Though, the at-fault party’s insurance carrier could deny the claim and fail to offer an adequate settlement. If this happens, the car accident victim will need to take action by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the liable driver.

Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit Following a Chicago Car Accident

If the at-fault party’s insurance company rejects the claim or does not offer an equitable settlement, the accident victim may need to initiate a personal injury suit. For Chicago car accidents, there is a personal injury statute of limitations. The car injury victim must file their suit no later than two years from the date of the accident.

After the filing of a personal injury lawsuit, you may assume that the next step is going to trial. But, only rarely does a personal injury suit go before a jury. Typically, both parties will continue negotiations and will strive to come to an agreement before the case goes to court. During the investigatory and discovery phases of the lawsuit, your Chicago car accident injury attorney will continue to keep the channels of communication productive with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

How Long Do Personal Injury Lawsuits Take?

One can expect a personal injury lawsuit to drag on for a year or more when it ends in a negotiated settlement. Even though most never go to trial, they often take months to conclude.

Some cases go to trial, but that is not a guaranteed swift process. They go before the court once they appear on the court docket. It is hard to estimate how long that will take.

Some Illinois car accident lawsuits continue for years after the date of the accident.

An Experienced Lawyer is a Must

Following a car accident where the victim was you or a loved one, it is very important that you seek the counsel of a skilled and experienced Chicago car accident injury lawyer with Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman, LLC. Our capable legal team will navigate your legal situation and do their best to negotiate the maximum settlement possible for your injuries. We are ready to use all the resources at our disposal to ensure you get a fair settlement promptly.