How Long Does It Take to Settle a Car Accident Claim in Oklahoma?

After a car accident, one of the first questions people ask is: “How long does it take to settle a car accident claim?”. The truth is that no two car accident claims are the same. The time it takes to reach a fair settlement depends on several key factors, including the severity of your injuries, the complexity of liability, and the willingness of the insurance company to negotiate in good faith.

The Typical Timeline for a Car Accident Settlement

While some straightforward claims can settle in a few months, others may take a year or longer. Here’s a general outline of how the process usually unfolds:

• Immediate Aftermath (0–30 days):
  You should report the accident, seek medical treatment, and gather evidence such as photos, police reports, and witness statements. Your personal injury attorney will begin investigating the case and notifying the insurance companies involved. The notification involves a letter of representation that includes certain information about your claim.
• Medical Treatment and Recovery (1–6 months):
  It’s important not to settle your claim until you fully understand the extent of your injuries. Settling too early could leave you responsible for future medical costs that weren’t yet known.
• Negotiations and Demand Letter (3–9 months):
  Once you’ve reached maximum medical improvement, your lawyer will calculate your damages—including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future care—and send a demand letter to the insurance company. Crafting the demand letter requires that all the medical records have been collected from all of your medical providers. Having all of your medical records is central to calculating actual damage, along with pain and suffering.
• Settlement or Litigation (6–18 months):
  Some insurers make reasonable offers early. Others delay or deny responsibility, forcing litigation. The tactic is sometimes called deny and delay and is an effort to force you to settle or give up your claim altogether. If your case goes to court, it may take additional months for discovery, mediation, and trial. Keep in mind that most cases do not end up in a trial, but it’s important that you are ready for whatever eventuality.

Factors That Can Affect the Settlement Timeline

• Severity of Injuries:
  Serious injuries that require long-term treatment or rehabilitation take longer to evaluate. Examples include those injuries that require surgery or lengthy physical therapy to resolve.
• Liability Disputes:
  If fault for the accident is unclear or shared under Oklahoma’s comparative negligence law, negotiations may stall.
• Insurance Company Tactics:
  Insurers sometimes delay payment, dispute medical bills, or request unnecessary documentation. Its not uncommon for them to delay in hopes that you miss the statute of limitations for filing the claim in court.
• Court Backlog:
  If your case must be filed in court, the docket schedule of your county will determine the pace it moves forward.

When It Makes Sense to Wait

It’s often better to wait for a fair settlement than to accept a low offer. Many insurance companies will try to make you take a lowball settlement, hoping that you don’t know better. Once you sign a release, you cannot reopen your claim—even if your injuries worsen. Your attorney’s role is to balance speed with full compensation.

How a Tulsa, Oklahoma Car Accident Lawyer Can Help

An experienced Oklahoma personal injury attorney can help settle a Car Accident Claim and get you the medical treatment and pain and suffering that you deserve by doing the following;

• Handle communications with insurance companies. This starts early in your case and eliminates all the stress associated with dealing with the adjuster.
• Collect medical and accident evidence. Our attorneys will issue subpoenas where needed and get the accident report for you.
• Calculate the full value of your claim. This involves calculating actual damages, including lost wages or other financial opportunities. There is also the question of pain and suffering. These calculations involve looking at the extent of your injury and other factors used to make a pain and suffering demand.
• File a lawsuit when necessary to protect your rights
• Ensure deadlines under Oklahoma’s two-year statute of limitations (12 O.S. §95) are met

The time it takes to settle a Car Accident Claim is dependent on many factors. At Kania Law Office, we’ve helped Oklahomans recover compensation for injuries caused by negligent drivers. Whether your case is settled in three months or twelve, our goal is the same—to secure the maximum recovery you deserve. If you’ve been injured in a car accident anywhere in Oklahoma, don’t wait. The sooner you speak with a personal injury attorney, the stronger your case will be.
Call Kania Law Office in Tulsa at 918.743.2233 today for a free consultation. We’ll review your case, explain the process, and help you understand how long your car accident claim might take to settle.