Car accidents are a leading cause of both injury and death in the U.S. According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, more than 38,000 individuals die in car accidents in the U.S. every year. Another 4.4 million Americans suffer injuries serious enough to require medical care.
If you sustain a serious injury in a car accident, your life may never return to normal. Fortunately, if someone’s negligent, reckless or intentional conduct caused the collision that caused your injury, you may be eligible for considerable financial compensation. How long your car accident case may take, though, depends on a few factors.
Can you accept an insurance settlement?
Most car accident injury claims end with insurance settlements. If an insurance company agrees to settle your claim for a satisfactory amount, you may be able to dispose of your case quickly. Still, you probably should not accept the first offer an insurer makes. Working with an attorney who understand insurance and the settlement process may increase your settlement offer substantially.
Do you need to file a lawsuit?
If you cannot settle your claim, you may have to file a lawsuit to obtain the compensation you deserve. In Connecticut, the statute of limitations for filing car accident legal claims is usually two years. Depending on the nature of your suit, you may have to serve the responsible driver, respond to his or her answer, perform discovery, go to trial or take other steps.
While timing varies considerably, you can generally expect a car accident lawsuit to last at least a year or longer. Waiting to receive compensation, though, may ultimately be an effective legal strategy. After all, the possibility of future money is often better than no money at all.