Las Vegas Car Accident Settlement Process
Insurance companies often make unfair offers to the injured person during a Las Vegas car accident settlement process. However, an offer is not acceptable unless it can result in a fair settlement. Sometimes it is not in the someone’s best interest to go to trial and their attorney can let them know that. Most of the cases start off in the arbitration process, but the person could have one to three years to be awarded any type of money.
Sometimes, the offers are not sufficient to cover the medical bills or pain and suffering. Experienced car accident lawyers can advise potential clients on the reasonable settlement amount to seek. They do not try to get someone to take a quick settlement while trying to avoid unnecessary litigation.
Calculating Settlement Amount
The Las Vegas car accident settlement process is based on many variables. That includes the damages to the vehicle, the extent of the person’s injuries, the types of medical bills, lost wages, and a calculation of pain and suffering. The settlement is based on how much money is available, the policy limit of the person that caused the accident, and whether the individual has any uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
Jury Involvement
The jury doesn’t have any involvement in the way a settlement calculates unless the case goes to trial. When the case goes to jury, there is no settlement available. The case only proceeds to a jury if a settlement cannot be reached.
Receiving a Settlement
A case can be resolved, but receiving a settlement depends on how long someone is undergoing medical treatment for their injuries. A case cannot settle in three months if the individual has to do five months of treatment. The only way a case can settle quickly is when there are significant injuries and not enough policy limits to cover them. From the time a case is ready to settle, the parties could go back and forth with the insurance company for some time. The average Las Vegas car accident settlement process can be anywhere from six to eight months. Depending upon the types of injuries, a case can easily be a year or 18 months. Anything after that will likely require filing a suit to preserve the two-year statute of limitations.
Refusing a Settlement
A person might refuse to take a settlement offer because the settlement does not cover the medical bills to date; it does not make them whole; or, the individual has unreasonable expectations. It is the attorney’s job to tell them when their expectations are unreasonable. They can inform them that the settlement offer is as good as they can get. The truth is that juries on soft-tissue personal injury cases are rewarding people little or nothing.
The insurance companies know that and their offers reduce. However, many times, the offers are still better than what a jury might award. It is up to the attorney to speak to the victim and give them a dose of reality. Car accident attorneys have the experience to deal with the insurance companies and help accident victims make the best decision. Give us a call today at 702-877-1500, fill out our convenient online form, or use our LiveChat to talk to someone right away. Don’t wait! We look forward to hearing from you. The initial consultation is free.