You’re driving your car northbound on Skokie Boulevard when suddenly, another vehicle pulls out of the 
Chick-fil-A on your right and hits your passenger side door. Accidents like this are all too commonplace in Skokie especially in that particular area due to the presence of the mall and a lot of fast food restaurants. If you are searching for a Skokie car accident lawyer, reach out to the Chicago Legal Group at 1-847-305-4105 for free advice about how to handle your claim.
How Long Will it Take to Receive My Compensation?
After how much is my case worth, the second most asked question is how long will it take to get my money? We get it – you were injured 2 years ago and you’ve got bills to pay and you can’t wait.
Sometimes other things come into play as well. We had a client who wanted to move states. If he did relocate, he would have to make himself available for a deposition and/or return to the state for trial if there was one. So, the delay in getting his case resolved was a major interruption in his life activities.
However, for most people, they just want to get paid for their damages. We are aware that you are the one who suffered the injuries, not us.
Unfortunately, it can take a long time to obtain the compensation you deserve – and anyone who tells you it will happen quickly is lying to you.
The Chicago Legal Group is a car accident law firm based here on the north shore of Illinois. We’ve handled countless motor vehicle accidents and we are all too aware of the process of obtaining compensation.
We have to sign you up, investigate your case, we need you to finish your medical treatment which could take years, then we have to order your medical bills and records, put them together in a demand package for the insurance company, wait for them to review it and make an offer, negotiate with the insurance company, then negotiate the amounts of all your medical bills and liens. Finally, once that’s all done, we’ll have you sign a release form at which time the insurance company will cut you a check. But then we have to deposit it, let it clear and mail it to you. It’s a very time intensive process.
Now there are some circumstances that this auto collision lawyer has seen where cases are resolved much quicker – however, you are hopefully not in that situation. They usually involve a client who suffers very severe injuries and the party who hit you has a very small insurance policy.
In Illinois, the minimum amount of insurance a driver has to have is $25,000. A lot of drivers are driving around uninsured altogether. In many cases our clients have had severe injuries but little insurance to go after. As such, those cases might settle relatively quickly – at least settle with the insurance company. However, you may still have to wait till you’re done with your medical treatment to recover.
Is there a time limit on filing a claim?
An auto accident attorney in Skokie can advise you on the time limit within which you have to file a lawsuit in. Generally speaking it’s 2 years from the date of the accident. That is different for minors and in other one-off circumstances (and in other types of cases like breach of contract for example). But for most of us, the personal injury statute of limitations is 2 years.
But that’s only one-half the equation. How long do you have to file a claim with an insurance company after an accident happens? Your traffic accident attorney has had many clients who did not come to us until 6 or 9 months after an accident and had failed to file a claim with the defendant’s insurance policy.
There is no general rule about how long you have to file with the opposing party’s insurance company. However, the longer from the date of the accident the more suspect its going to be.
One thing to be cautious of however is a time limit on filing with your own insurance company for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
This Skokie car accident lawyer has seen cases usually involving sub-standard insurance policies, where the coverage is contingent on the insured filing a claim within a set period – usually 30 days. One case, in particular, comes to mind where a lousy insurance company denied a potential client’s claim due to his delay in pursuing his own insurance benefits.
Don’t just take your insurance company’s word for it that this clause is in the policy. Make sure they prove it to you by providing you a certified copy of your insurance policy and pointing the clause out to you.
Skokie, A Nearby Suburb
Skokie is very close to our office and we have spent countless days at the Old Orchard Mall and walking along the Skokie Lagoon. If you are injured and are looking for an attorney to help you with your auto accident case, call the Chicago Legal Group at 1-847-305-4105.
