No personal injury lawyer or insurance company adjuster can tell you how long it should take to settle your personal injury case. An insurance adjuster can tell you when they would like to settle your personal injury case, which is immediately following the car accident. The reason the insurance company would like to settle your personal injury case at that time is because the severity of your medical injuries is unknown at that time. One, you have not received any diagnostic testing or MRIs which may reveal a more serious injury. You have not received any medical care for your back and neck injuries or other whiplash-related injuries. Plus, you may have not yet missed the complete amount of work you will receive. You may not also know the extent or permanence of your injury at that time in your personal injury case.
It is for these reasons that the insurance company desires to settle your personal injury case immediately or very shortly after the actual car accident. A good personal injury lawyer is going to caution you against trying to settle your personal injury case early. Instead they will recommend that you not settle the case until after you are medically well and all injuries have been resolved. By waiting until you are finished treating, your personal injury lawyer can make sure that you've received all the appropriate medical care. They will ensure that you have seen any specialists you need to see, and that all your injuries have resolved. Additionally, they will have recorded all lost wages and the impact the car accident had on your life. All of these considerations go into the amount your personal injury lawyer should ask for and demand from the insurance company.
Without knowing these things your personal injury lawyer cannot tell you how long your case should take to settle. I can tell you that a good personal injury lawyer is going to work to make sure that you receive the appropriate amount of medical care and until you are well. They will ensure once all medical injuries have resolved and you no longer have any pain in your back and neck then they can move quickly to try to either settle your case or begin litigation on your personal injury case. After your medical treatment is completed the personal injury lawyer should gather all those bills and records if they haven't been ordered already and submit it to the insurance company. You have a right to make sure that this demand is submitted in an timely matter and it is not just sitting on a lawyer's shelf for three or four or six weeks while you are thinking your case is getting resolved. Once the insurance company receives your personal injury demand they should begin evaluating it and negotiating with your personal injury lawyer. The negotiation process normally is fairly quick and that it should take less than 30 days depending on how the communication is between your personal injury lawyer and yourself and his office and the insurance company. At that time, your personal injury lawyer should have a top offer on your personal injury case and should discuss with you either settlement, litigating, or filing a lawsuit in your case. If your case cannot be resolved or settled at that time, then most likely your case would be litigated or go to court which takes a much longer period.