Uncertainty makes an injury harder. The car accident claim process follows a predictable sequence. Knowing that order tells you what to expect, and roughly when.
Below, we walk through each stage and explain why it takes the time it does.
The Car Accident Claim Process, Step by Step
1. Sign-up. You sign a contract, and we order the accident report. If you have no treating provider yet, we can share referrals, though the choice stays yours.
2. Claims setup. We notify both insurers and open the claims. Witnesses get contacted early, because memories fade faster than any other evidence.
3. Treatment. Your doctors direct your care. Meanwhile, we collect records and bills as they arrive.
4. Valuation. We review the completed file with you. Medical findings, lost wages, and lasting limitations together set the demand figure.
5. The demand. We draft it and send it to the adjuster with an acceptance window. O.C.G.A. § 9-11-67.1 requires at least 30 days, plus specific terms and the records needed to evaluate a claim.
6. First response. The adjuster answers with an offer, a counter, or a denial. Then we discuss whether to negotiate, accept, or file suit.
7. Resolution. Settlement proceeds pay liens, costs, and fees, and the balance goes to you. Litigation follows instead when the numbers stay too far apart.
Speak with a Charlotte car accident lawyer and get a free consultation today.
Call (980) 294-4931Why Step Three Takes the Longest
Treatment drives everything downstream. Nobody can value a claim before the medical picture stabilizes. Future care and permanent limitations carry much of the value.
Gaps hurt, though. An adjuster reads a month without appointments as proof you recovered, so consistency matters more than intensity.
Why Your Settlement Is Not All Yours
Liens surprise almost everyone. Georgia lets hospitals, physician practices, and since 2023 chiropractic practices assert liens against a recovery.
One rule helps considerably. Providers must bill your private health insurance first, which often shrinks a lien before anyone negotiates it.
Negotiation happens here too. Consequently, reducing liens sometimes adds more to your pocket than squeezing a final dollar from the adjuster.
Why Two Years Is the Outer Limit
Georgia allows two years to file. That deadline holds regardless of how negotiations are going.
So a lawsuit is not a failure. Often it is simply the calendar.
Talk to an Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer
Shane Smith Law handles every step above. Contact us for a free consultation.
