Car accident injuries can be as different as the people who are injured. Yes, whiplash, sprains, strains, broken bones, and nerve impingements (to name just a few) are common, but lots of other injuries happen as well.
Different people also respond to injuries differently. A person’s age, height, weight, physical fitness, and medical history can all impact how long it takes to get better from their injuries.
The bottom line for a car accident case is this: if you think you need treatment, get it. An emergency room, urgent care, or your family doctor are all good starting points to understand your injuries and learn what kind of treatment you need.
You also have to understand that there is only “one bite at the apple.” If you settle your claim today, but two weeks from now you wake up with pain and your doctor says it’s definitely related to the wreck, that’s too bad. The insurance company will make you sign a release that says your claim is resolved once they pay you money. That’s true whether you have a lawyer or not.
There are exceptions, but most non-surgical injuries that don’t have a permanent aspect (like a herniated disc or a broken bone) only involve treatment for a few months. If you’re not getting better after two or three months of treatment, it’s time to ask for a second opinion and see if another doctor can help. We prefer to be involved as soon as possible after the wreck so we can gather evidence from the police and eyewitnesses, and start gathering your early treatment records.
Once you finish treatment, our firm gathers up any records or bills we don’t already have, we worth with you to get any lost income information from your job, we review everything, and assemble a settlement package for the adjuster to review. Once the insurance adjuster gets the settlement package, we typically hear from them in four to six weeks. Negotiations typically don’t take very long, because we can tell fairly quickly if we can resolve the case or if we may need to file suit and take it to trial. At the beginning of a case, it’s impossible for a lawyer to tell you exactly how long your case will take, because there’s really no way to know. If a lawyer promises a certain date when you first meet with them, something is wrong, and you should look elsewhere.
At the Miller Law Group, our attorneys have over 50 years of combined experience, and have handled thousands of personal injury claims, with over 75% of those being car accident claims. We know that it can be a long process, so we keep you updated as to what’s happening, and we check in to see how your treatment is going. If something has to change because you need a new doctor or a new problem is discovered, we know how to pivot and keep the case moving as much as possible. Call us at 919-348-4361 or click here to contact us for a free consultation. No matter how long the claim takes, we’ve got your back.
