Reaching a fair settlement of your personal injury claim may take time. Negotiations can go back and forth. And insurance companies will do everything to delay your claim, hoping that you will give up the compensation you want.
A lot of factors can cause a personal injury claim to be delayed. Sometimes, they can be legitimate reasons, but other times, they can just be excuses for insurance companies to drag their feet. If you want to know if you stand a chance in the face of aggressive insurers, you should contact a Ladah Law Firm personal injury attorney. Your lawyer can explain why it takes insurance providers a while to agree to a claim settlement. The following are factors that can delay your claim:
Length of Treatment
Following an accident, you must seek immediate medical attention, even if you do not feel any pain. A doctor can assess and diagnose your injuries as well as provide a recovery prognosis.
Depending on the seriousness of the injuries you have suffered, it can take weeks or even months for you to complete your treatment plan and reach maximum medical improvement. Settling a claim before you determine the full extent of your damages can leave you with unpaid medical bills.
Liability Disputes
Even if the negligent party is clearly at fault, the insurer may still downplay its liability by blaming you for the accident or claiming you have a pre-existing condition. Such action can delay your claim since you have the burden of proof.
If the insurer denies liability, you will have to secure more evidence to prove your position. Your attorney may need to hire experts to give testimony for your case. This can further delay the claim process. These experts may need to perform research and experiments before they can give an informed statement.
Reasons Insurers Delay the Claim Process
In Las Vegas, you have two years to file a personal injury claim. The clock begins to tick from the accident date. Because of this statute of limitation, insurance companies will try to delay the resolution of your claim. They hope that you will not have enough time to complete the process. They will put pressure on you with increasing medical bills, hoping you are desperate enough to accept their lowball settlement offer. However, you can easily avoid this tactic when you have an attorney handling your claim. Your lawyer will ensure your file your claim before the deadline expires and will pursue a fair settlement for your case.