07/14/2021 How Long Does a Settlement Check Take After an Accident?

You deserve financial compensation after suffering an injury due to another’s negligence.  Negligence is a term commonly used by those who work in the legal sphere to refer to parties that fail to provide the appropriate level of care to those in their vicinity.  If your personal injury attorney in New Jersey can prove another party is even slightly responsible for your injury, you will receive financial compensation through a settlement or a court award.  The timeline for receiving this compensation will be unique to your specific case.  

Be Patient as Your Case Takes Shape

All sorts of factors affect how quickly you are paid after your personal injury.  If the insurer makes an attractive settlement offer that you accept, you will receive your compensation sooner than would have occurred had you pursued litigation.  Most people do not accept the insurance company’s initial offer.  Settlement negotiations have the potential to take days, weeks or even longer.  

In some cases, settlement negotiations are put on pause and picked up days or weeks later.  So don’t expect a sizable check within days or even a week or two of your accident date.  Be patient as the wheels of justice turn, let your New Jersey personal injury attorney advocate on your behalf and have faith.  

The General Timeline for Financial Compensation After a NJ Accident

As noted above, the length of time necessary for the legal process to play out hinges on the nuanced factors of your specific accident.  However, in general, it usually takes between a month and two months to receive a check.  If the case is not particularly complex or if you accept the initial settlement offer, the settlement check might take as little as a couple weeks to show up in your mailbox.  However, most settlement checks take at least a month to arrive through the mail.  

The Insurance Company Partially Dictates the Timeline

Insurance providers typically require those who are party to a personal injury lawsuit to sign a release stating the plaintiff’s acceptance of the settlement results in a forfeiture of future rights to take legal action against the parties responsible for the injury.  The insurance company will not send the settlement money to your New Jersey personal injury attorney until this release is received.  Furthermore, there is also the potential for the insurance company to delay even after receiving the signed release, extending the payment timeline that much longer. 

Transmitting the Settlement Funds to the NJ Personal Injury Attorney

The insurance provider will send the settlement check to the attorney after receiving your release form.  However, there will be another slight delay in between the transmission of the funds to your personal injury lawyer and the subsequent payment to you, the victim.  Your New Jersey injury attorney might have to redirect some of the settlement funds to pay for the following:

• Attorney’s fees and expenses
• Outstanding medical bills
• Letter of protection claims
• Subrogation liens
• Additional costs tied to your case

The process of obtaining information pertaining to liens from Medicare takes some time.  If medical bills were paid for through Medicare, the proceeds from the insurance company’s medical check will be delayed as it will take time to obtain the amount necessary to cover the Medicare lien.  Unfortunately, there is the potential for this process to take several months.  

Once the expenses detailed above are paid, the attorney creates an accounting of the transactions in their entirety.  The attorney reviews this accounting with you to ensure you understand the distribution of the settlement funds and approve of the figures, payments and other details.  The attorney then transmits this money to pay for the related expenses.  

At this point, the spotlight shifts to you, the personal injury victim.  It might take upwards of two months or longer to receive your check as the settlement payment process is clearly quite complex, involving multiple parties, payments and nuanced requirements for insurance and legal purposes.

Let the Legal Process Play Out

It probably won’t take more than a couple months to receive your settlement check.  However, it might also take as little as a month or possibly even less for justice to take shape in the form of a check in your mailbox.  Let your northern NJ personal injury attorney identify potential liable parties, pursue justice through a lawsuit along with settlement negotiations and it won’t be long until you are compensated for this wrongdoing.  

If your accident was particularly serious and the settlement will be in the range of six figures, the insurance company’s review process will take longer than would be necessary for a comparably simple accident.  However, the delay will prove worth it as letting the legal process take shape and engaging in settlement negotiations will ultimately yield the largest possible settlement payment.

Contact Bavagnoli & Bavagnoli Today

If you have suffered an injury or illness of any sort and suspect another party is even partially at fault, do not suffer in silence.  Reach out to our New Jersey personal injury attorneys today to schedule a consultation.  We will do everything within the confines of the law to ensure justice is served and you are provided with the money you need after this unfortunate incident.  Dial (973) 785-9522 to schedule an appointment with one of our personal injury attorneys.