Car accident claims can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to settle. If a fair settlement is not reached and the case goes to trial, it could take even longer.
Some factors that affect how long a car accident case takes to settle include the severity of your injuries, whether fault is clear-cut or in dispute, and the number of parties involved. Being represented by an experienced Oklahoma City car accident lawyer can help move your case along more efficiently while ensuring that you secure maximum compensation for your damages.
Oklahoma Car Accident Lawsuit Timeline
Understanding the general timeline for an Oklahoma car accident claim can be helpful. While the time and steps vary depending on the specific facts of your claim, most claims follow this process:
- The responding police officer will issue an accident report, and the parties involved in the accident will notify their insurance companies.
- If the accident report shows that fault is not disputed, the at-fault party’s insurance company will often contact the other parties and make a quick settlement offer. The offer is usually a much lower amount than the claim is worth. The insurance company hopes you will accept a low settlement offer before you can speak to an attorney and learn the value of your claim.
- When you hire an experienced Oklahoma car accident lawyer, they can investigate your accident to help identify all possible causes and liable parties. They can also take swift action to help preserve and collect essential evidence before it can be lost or destroyed.
- Your attorney will work to establish and accurately value all your current and future damages, often consulting medical and economic experts in the process.
- The insurance company will also investigate the accident and look for ways to avoid or reduce its client’s liability, including ways to shift blame to you. Insurance companies know that under Oklahoma’s comparative fault law, every percentage point of blame they can move to you will reduce the amount they will have to pay you. And, if they can shift 51% or more of the blame to you, they can avoid paying you anything.
- Your attorney will work to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company as quickly as possible. At Warhawk Legal, the vast majority of our cases settle without going to trial.
- However, if a fair settlement cannot be reached, your attorney will file the necessary legal pleadings to set your case for trial. If this is necessary, the process can take much longer depending on the court’s docket, the amount of discovery to be conducted, and the complexity of the case.
At Warhawk Legal, our Oklahoma City injury attorneys work diligently to move your claim forward and to reach a fair settlement as quickly as possible so you can secure the compensation you deserve and move forward with your life.
Oklahoma Statute of Limitations For Car Accident Lawsuits
A statute of limitations is a law that sets a deadline for filing a claim to recover compensation for damages after a car accident. If you miss your filing deadline, you will be barred from recovering damages.
In Oklahoma, the filing deadline for an injury lawsuit is two years from the date of the accident. There are some exceptions to this deadline, so you must promptly consult an experienced Oklahoma car accident attorney to help ensure you do not miss the filing deadline for your claim.
Contact an Oklahoma Car Accident Lawyer Today
Insurance companies often try to drag out your claim, hoping you will become frustrated and settle your claim for less than it is worth. An Oklahoma car accident lawyer can help expedite the settlement of your car accident lawsuit by keeping pressure on the insurance company to move forward and pay the full value of your damages.
At Warhawk Legal, our car accident attorneys have the experience, skills, and resources to help you secure maximum compensation for your damages as fast as possible. Call (405) 294-1243 or visit our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.