Trial Pro P.A. is proud to advocate for accident victims all over the state of Florida, including from our Central Florida office in Orlando. Our dedicated experienced personal injury attorneys handle a range of legal matters, from employment disputes to auto accidents claims. We can use our knowledge and legal skills to help you not only achieve a favorable outcome but relieve the legal burden on your shoulders as well. Our entire team understands how challenging and confusing litigation can be, which is why we are here for you through every step of the process.

The Trial Pro, P.A. attorneys, carry more than a century of collective legal experience and decades of working together as a team. We have represented hundreds if not thousands of people who have been injured due to car accidents, slip-and-fall, worker's compensation cases, and more. One thing that is clear to us is the essence of partnership. Without it, Trial Pro, P.A. could not be as effective in attaining success for our clients.

How long does it take to receive an offer of compensation?

Frequently Asked Questions - How long does it take to receive an offer of compensation?

Offers of compensation are determined on a variety of factors. Some of these factors can include the adjuster, or the company itself. First, when a claim for personal injury is made the insurance adjuster assigned will estimate what the initial value of the claim may be based on the type of injury sustained, and places that money on reserve. The insurance adjuster then makes check-ups every thirty (30) days to determine if the claimant has completed treatment, so the adjuster can modify the amount in reserve if need be.

Generally speaking, once a demand is made through an attorney, the insurance adjuster has a thirty (30) day period to respond, or make a counter-offer, per Florida Statute. Now, just because the adjuster has the thirty (30) days that does not necessarily mean that the offer will be made in that time frame. It could take more time it could take less. Offers of compensation are based on the adjusters review the medical records and respective itemized charges. Additionally, insurance adjusters review the claimants recommended and completed course of treatment, pain and suffering, wage loss, prior injuries or claims for injuries, pre-existing injuries, and severity of impact versus treatment. Depending on the claimant, this type of review could take more than the thirty (30) days an insurance adjuster has, not to mention, the level of authority that an insurance adjuster has. If an insurance adjuster requires approval from upper management prior to extending an offer, this can take additional time for an offer of compensation to be made.

If an insurance adjuster does have complete authority to make a settlement offer, then that insurance adjuster may simply look at the total amount of medical expenses incurred and the available policy limits to determine whether or not the value of the claim is in accordance with the amount demanded. Because the insurance adjuster has full authority to extend and offer, this makes the time frame for offer of compensation much shorter than the allotted thirty (30) period.

For instance, if someone is involved in motor vehicle collision with another motorist that carries the minimal amount of state required policy limits, $10,000.00/$20,000.00, and the injuries sustained requires immediate surgical intervention as a result, the medical expenses incurred for the initial medical treatment clearly far exceed what the at-fault driver has available. Policy limit demands can definitely take a bit of time, perhaps more than the allotted thirty (30) day time frame because policy limit demands must go through an entire chain of command before an insurance adjuster can make an offer. Policy limit demands, most common in motor vehicle collisions, generally consist of injuries such as fractures, broken bones, or surgical intervention.

In addition, another substantial and incredibly crucial component that can determine how long it takes to receive an offer of compensation is the total amount of available policy limits. If a motorist is involved in a motor vehicle collision with more than one other motorist, and several parties sustain injuries, an offer for compensation may take additional time due to the fact that all injured parties must have completed treatment prior to the insurance adjuster extending any offers for compensation. This is commonly called a “global settlement” and this type of claim is generally done on a pro-rata basis that is determined on the severity of the injury and medical expenses incurred by each injured party, and the total available policy limits.

Furthermore, if the claimant has various or extensive personal injury claims, an insurance adjuster make take more time to research the types of prior injuries, or pre-existing injuries and request additional or prior medical records prior to making an initial offer of settlement. Other determining factors that may exceed the thirty (30) day time frame may involve the medical provider that administered treatment to the claimant. For instance, if a medical provider has been under close watch for suspicion of insurance fraud, an insurance adjuster may put a complete hold on any offer of compensation until the investigation on that medical provider is complete. These type of investigations can take up to more than a year to complete, in turn making the time frame for compensation offers even longer.

Alternatively, if the insurance adjuster that has been assigned to the personal injury claim has the authority to offer or immediately extend an offer, the insurance adjuster may reach out to propose compensation upon review of the medical records and itemized bills. As previously stated, offers for compensation can truly vary on the insurance adjuster assigned, or the company that the company that issued the insurance policy. Smaller, or lesser known insurance companies have insurance adjusters that may not necessarily be as responsive as the bigger, and better known insurance carriers, and as such, they do not respond to the allotted time frame. This requires the attorneys and/or their assistants to have to constantly reach out to them, making that time frame longer to reach.

Offers of compensation for serious injuries may also take more than the thirty (30) day time frame due to the fact that perhaps due to the type of injury sustained, or severity of impact, requires the assigned insurance adjusters to communicate with various departments of the insurance company, resulting in additional adjusters reviewing the medical records and bills submitted, which extend the time for an offer of compensation.

Aside from the allotted time frame provided by the Florida Statutes, insurance adjusters can take longer because it not only depends on the adjuster assigned, or the insurance carrier that issued the policy, but the claimant as well. Claimants that have extensive prior injuries, or even patterns that may indicate insurance fraud, or treatment with providers that may be under investigation for suspicion of insurance fraud, can be a determining factor on when that offer of compensation is made. Some insurance adjusters do respond to a demand with an offer of compensation well within the allotted thirty (30) day time frame, while others, taking the previously mentioned factors, can understandably exceed the given period.