Get To Know The Different Stages Of A Personal Injury Case
In the coming months as we’re working hard to get you the maximum value for your claim, there will be five stages involved in order to secure the compensation you deserve. This is the step-by-step explanation through each stage so that you stay informed and are aware of what’s happening at all times:
- STAGE ONE is called the PENDING STAGE. Once you have come aboard as our client, we will begin verifying and gathering additional information about your accident. During this phase, we will be requesting the police or accident reports, gathering accounts from eyewitnesses and assessing property damage. You may also be requested at this time to give a statement for the insurance company about what happened. No worries though, we will guide you through this process. The pending stage usually lasts about 4 weeks.
- STAGE TWO consists of the TREATMENT STAGE. During this phase you will be receiving medical treatment for your injuries. At the time of your accident, it is critical that you not only see a doctor immediately, but continue with all recommended treatment during the treatment phase. Even if you are feeling better or are no longer sore, talk to your physician about whether or not it is appropriate for you to be released from care; never just stop going to your appointments. Insurance companies typically increase or decrease the value of your claim based on the length of time you have treated. For example, if you only receive treatment for a couple of days, they will assess the severity of your injuries although you may still be in pain or have an injury that has yet to be diagnosed.
- Once the doctors have released you from treatment, STAGE THREE involves MEDICAL RECORDS. This is where we request your medical records from all of your medical providers so that we can review and prepare them for sending to the insurance company. Keep in mind that the time it takes to gathering medical records can be anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks depending on the extent of your treatment and response from the medical records departments.
- Immediately upon receipt of all medical records, we move into STAGE FOUR: THE DEMAND STAGE. This is where we present your claim with all the pertinent information we gathered to the insurance company with a request for compensation based on our assessed value of your claim. The demand consists of a specific dollar value that includes your medical expenses along with compensation for your pain and suffering. Depending on the insurance coverage, response can take anytime from 30 to 90 days to receive a response from the insurance company.
- The FIFTH STAGE is the NEGOTIATIONS STAGE. This is when the insurance company responds to the demand that we submitted with an offer of their own. Typically, this initial offer is lower than the amount requested in our demand. We then begin negotiations to increase the initial offer so that you get a fair settlement. During this phase, we keep you informed of every offer. The length of negotiations varies from case to case and depends on a number of factors. For some cases, it can be a few days, for other cases, it could be a few months. No matter the time period, we will be with you every step of the way.
If during the negotiations phase we’re unable to reach a fair settlement with the insurance company, we will then begin considering litigation.