No one plans for a car accident. One moment, you’re driving to work down the Patriot Freeway, and the next, you’re suffering from a career-ending disability. We understand why El Paso car crash victims need quick insurance settlements after a devastating collision, but the settlement timeline for car accidents is extremely fact-specific.
Talented negotiators might settle some cases within a few months, while other cases might require years of dedicated litigation and appeals. At Abrar & Vergara, our El Paso car crash attorneys have more experience in the courtroom than most personal injury law firms. We stop at nothing to get our clients the quickest and highest insurance settlements, but if this is not possible, we will take your case to court.
Let our Texas car accident attorneys give you a fair settlement timeline for your case during your free case evaluation. Call (915) 444-6675 or schedule online today.
Overview of Texas Motor Vehicle Insurance Laws
Car accidents are a leading cause of serious injuries and deaths in Texas. As such, state law requires drivers to carry proof that they can pay the average cost of motor vehicle crashes they cause. Most drivers do this by carrying state minimum auto insurance sufficient to cover up to $30,000 per person for bodily injuries ($60,000 max per accident). Most El Paso car crash cases settle with the liability insurer within policy limits.
Some drivers carry higher limits, while certain high-value individuals and businesses can self-insure with El Paso County. State and federal commercial insurance laws also require certain bus, truck, rideshare, taxi, and limo owners to maintain significantly higher insurance limits. The first step in the car accident settlement process is working with a personal injury law firm to determine the maximum available insurance coverage in your case.
Factors Impacting El Paso Auto Accident Settlements
No two car accident cases are exactly alike, making it difficult to accurately estimate the settlement timeline in your case. However, certain factors play a significant role in determining when you can expect to receive an auto insurance settlement in Texas. The following facts can accelerate or delay your car accident settlement award in El Paso.
Extent of Injury
Most car accidents result in soft tissue injuries, such as whiplash and muscle strains, which may resolve within a few weeks. Injuries with clear recovery timelines allow your attorney to more accurately estimate the extent of your medical damages and lost wages. This permits her to make accurate settlement demands with the liability insurer.
If you suffered from one of the following catastrophic car accident injuries in El Paso, it could take significantly longer to settle your claims:
- Paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Third-degree burns
- Significant nerve and spinal cord damage
- Compound fractures and amputations
This delay occurs because you cannot go back and claim additional damages from a liable defendant once your claim settles. Until doctors fully understand the extent of your injury and recovery timeline, including the potential long-term impact on your earning capacity and overall health, reputable attorneys must wait to make settlement demands.
Liability
Most motor vehicle accident cases subject to settlement delays involve contested liability. This occurs when multiple parties are at fault, such as during chain reaction crashes on I-10, or the other driver denies negligence. When liability isn’t clear from video evidence or witness statements, the insurance company may refuse to settle or make lowball offers. They might also blame you in an attempt to reduce compensation under Texas comparative negligence law. You may need a trial-tested car accident lawyer from Abrar & Vergara at this stage to bring liability disputes before a judge or jury. This process could take years.
Available Insurance
Dedicated car accident lawyers might obtain a quick settlement for you if your injuries, regardless of minor accident fault, far exceed insurance limits. In such cases, our attorneys might demand a full policy payout from the liability insurer and help you obtain additional payouts from any underinsured motorist coverage you carry. These claims might settle in a matter of months.
Using these factors, our car crash legal team might estimate the settlement timeline in your case based on our prior experience settling and litigating high-value injury claims in El Paso.
Schedule a Free Insurance Settlement Estimate with our El Paso, TX Car Crash Lawyers
Unlike other personal injury lawyers who rely on pre-trial settlements to win their cases, we go the distance at Abrar & Vergara. Our courtroom experience gives us the edge when fighting for justice before a court of law. If we can’t settle your case, rest assured that we will litigate to ensure you’re justly compensated after an El Paso car accident.
Discuss your car accident settlement timeline in El Paso, TX, by scheduling a free case evaluation with our experienced personal injury attorneys by calling (915) 444-6675 or connecting with us online.