After a serious injury from a Daytona Beach accident, you may be contemplating filing a car accident lawsuit against the responsible party. You may also be wondering how long it will take to get a settlement from your claim. Unfortunately, there is no standard timeframe for car accident lawsuits. Depending on the circumstances of your claim, you may end up waiting more or less time than another person who filed a car accident lawsuit on the same day. Nevertheless, by understanding the progression of the timeline for car accident cases, you can have a better idea of how long your case may take based on its circumstances.

Auto Accident Settlement Timeline (Video)

Auto Accident Lawsuit Timeline (Infographic)

1. Seeking Medical Treatment

You have been injured in a car accident. Immediately after or a few days later, you must seek medical treatment for your injuries. It is important to see a doctor as soon as possible to prove your claim. Taking too long could give the defense an opportunity to argue that your injuries were not serious.

2. Choosing an Auto Accident Lawyer

This process can take longer than you may expect. It's important to know how to choose a personal injury lawyer and what questions to ask a personal injury lawyer before making your selection. You may interview several attorneys or just one. After scheduling an initial consultation, you will discuss your claim with the attorney, who may need a few days to look over evidence and decide if they want to take your case or not.

3. Investigating the Evidence

The auto accident lawyer will investigate the evidence available in your case. They may look at your medical records and bills you have paid, as well as any treatments you have had for injuries. They may also look at your pre-existing conditions to see how they may affect the outcome of your case. They will then determine how much you may be eligible for in compensation, and if the case is worth pursuing.

4. Making a Demand

If the auto accident lawyer takes your case, they will then start with a demand from the other party or their insurance company. Here they will list your losses, though your lawyer cannot request a demand until you have reached a point of maximum medical improvement (MMI). MMI means that you have ended your medical treatment and have recovered as much as you will ever be able to. Depending on how long your recovery may take, this could significantly slow down your case.

5. Filing a Lawsuit

Your lawyer may file a lawsuit if they feel the case cannot be settled, or if their demands were ignored by the insurance company. In this instance, the case may take one to two years before it even gets to court. In that time, your lawyer will continue to negotiate with the other party in the hopes of reaching a settlement.

6. Sharing Discovery

This is the time before trial when both sides share the evidence they have collected in their cases. Both sides are required to hand over their evidence to the other side in order to help prepare for trial. Your lawyer and the other party’s attorney may set up depositions where they meet with you, witnesses, and others involved to get their sides of the case.

7. Mediation & Negotiations

Throughout the course of your case’s auto accident settlement timeline, your case will typically go through several settlement talks. Sometimes attorneys will agree to go through mediation with a court-appointed mediator in the hopes of settling before trial.

8. Going to Trial

If both parties cannot settle, the case will be forwarded to trial where a judge or jury will overhear the facts and determine if the defendant is liable and, if so, for how much. Auto accident trials can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Contact an Auto Accident Lawyer to Get Started

It is impossible to estimate how long your case will take without reviewing the facts. To find out if you have a case, contact the auto accident lawyers at Vasilaros Wagner for a no-obligation consultation. We can discuss your claim with you to provide a better estimate of your case’s auto accident lawsuit timeline. Call us at 386-777-7777 for a free consultation or fill out our online contact form. For general questions about auto accident claims, check out our FAQs.