Your accident can happen in a split second. One minute you’re driving along and the next you’re trying to figure out what just happened. Traffic accidents can be disconcerting, frightening, and even frustrating. You have expenses relating to the accident that need addressing.
However, there’s little you can do about the bills until you settle your personal injury claim. So, what is the timeline to receive a settlement check in Nevada, and is there any way you can speed up the process?
Timeline to Settle an Accident Claim in Nevada
A quick note before we dive into the time it usually takes to receive a settlement check in Nevada after an accident. This timeline only applies to personal injury claims and not lawsuits. Typically, a lawsuit is filed when accident victims can’t reach a settlement with the insurance company.
When this happens, the next step is going to court and this can add months or even years to the timeline. With that being said, here’s a look at the average time it takes to settle an accident claim.
The Insurance Company Receives the Claim
You and your personal injury attorney have gathered all of the evidence and calculated the value of your economic and non-economic losses. The paperwork is filled out, and all that’s left to do is send everything to the insurance provider.
Insurance companies have 28 business days to acknowledge they’ve received your claim. Remember, these are business days so weekends and holidays don’t count. So, if you submit a claim over Christmas break, you’re probably not going to hear back from the insurance company until after the new year.
Guess what, you’re not done filling out insurance paperwork. Not only must insurance providers respond to a submitted claim within 28 days, but they also have to send you the rest of the paperwork. You’ll complete forms detailing the accident and your losses. This is a formal statement that’s also legally binding so don’t exaggerate your losses.Â
You’re going to have to prove everything before the insurance company will issue you a settlement check.
A Decision Is Made
After you send in the additional paperwork, you’re back to waiting for a response from the insurance company. Don’t worry, the insurance provider can’t take forever to either approve or deny your claim. There’s a timeline insurance companies are required to meet. You should receive a reply within 30 business days.
If your claim is approved, you should receive your settlement check within a couple of weeks. Sometimes, you may receive your settlement check in only a few business days. This timeline depends on the speed of the postal service. Sometimes it moves a little faster than others.
What happens if your claim is denied? You can appeal the insurance company’s decision in civil court. This isn’t a lawsuit against the insurance company, you’re only asking for the court to reverse the provider’s denial. If the court rules in your favor, you should be able to resubmit your accident claim. If the court rules against you, your only other option is usually to file a lawsuit directly against the at-fault party.
Tips on Speeding Up the Settlement Timeline
A couple of months or so may not seem like a lot of time to receive a settlement check until you’re waiting for it to arrive. Thankfully, you may not need to watch your bills pile up for a couple of months after the accident. You may be able to take some steps to help speed up the process.
Don’t Hesitate to Reach Out to the Insurance Company
Even though insurance companies have timelines they need to meet, things can fall through the cracks. One of these items may be your accident claim. If more than a few days have gone by past the deadline, contact the insurance company.
Hopefully, you’re not dealing with a bad-faith insurance claim. This happens when insurance companies try to avoid paying out legitimate accident claims. Sometimes, insurance providers hope that ignoring the claim will make it and you go away.Â
If your phone call doesn’t seem to have an effect, it’s probably time to start working with an experienced personal injury attorney. Sometimes, all it takes is a call from an attorney to get the insurance company to start meeting deadlines.
Submit Organized Evidence
Your accident claim probably isn’t the only one the insurance company is handling. Don’t forget about their new clients. A lot of an insurance agent’s time is spent helping new customers find the right type of coverage. Believe it or not, insurance companies aren’t waiting around for a claim to come through.
Sometimes, if you send over a disorganized mess of paperwork your claim will sit around gathering dust on someone’s desk. No one is ever thrilled to go through a disorganized mess, especially if it means the insurance company is going to have to cut a check.
If you’re not a naturally organized person, now’s the time to start. Keep all supplied paperwork from the insurance company in order. When it comes to your supporting documents, don’t cram everything haphazardly into an envelope. Try to keep everything organized by type.
For example, keep all of your medical records in one pile and other for your property repair costs. You may even want to create indexing labels for each damage category to make it a little easier for the insurance adjuster to review. This is an easy way of speeding up the claim process.
Stay in Touch with the Insurance Company
We already mentioned reaching out to the insurance company if it’s taking a while for them to let you know they received your claim. Don’t stop talking to the insurance company if it’s taking longer than usual to hear if your claim is approved or denied.
Once again, your claim may have fallen through the cracks, or the insurance adjuster is simply distracted. Your claim may also be missing information and the insurance company hasn’t gotten around to letting you know. By staying in contact, you can often address any issues before your settlement timeline is delayed.
