After getting into a car accident I called Barbara and it was the best decision I ever made. She is amazing! I couldn’t have asked for a better lawyer to represent me. She got me the best settlement to pay back my medi...
The fight with insurance companies is just as hard as fighting for your life after an accident. As long as you dont give up on yourself Barbara will fight for you. The staff at Kidwell and Gallagher were great as well. I...
These two are specialists in two related fields, personal injury and workmen’s comp. Both they and their staff were VERY responsive to me and my questions, and handled my case with patience and competence. I would,...
I feel like kidwell & Gallagher went above and beyond for me. Craig himself and his staff are so nice and helpful. I would highly recommend this law office for your workmans comp/injury needs. You will not be disappo...
The best place to go if you need good hometown lawyers. They are very informative and kept us updated on what was going to happen through out our case.
Was the best experience, we told them the problem and they took over everything, was such a relief. Always there to answer any questions and help is fast is possible.
I was at my job mountain crew changes there in the basement of kidwell and Gallagher
They weren’t able to help with my case, but they directed me to someone who could.
Waiting on a settlement after a collision is one of the most draining parts of recovering from a serious crash. If you have been asking, “Why is my car accident settlement taking so long?” The answer depends on factors that vary from one claim to the next, including ongoing medical treatment, unresolved liability disputes, insurance investigations, or unanswered questions about the full value of your claim.
Kidwell & Gallagher Injury Lawyers represents injured drivers across Elko and northeastern Nevada who are caught in exactly this position, and understanding what is driving the delay is the first step toward addressing it. Speaking with an Elko car accident lawyer can clarify which factors are affecting your timeline and whether additional legal pressure is warranted.
One factor that contributes to delayed settlement is the contestation of fault among multiple parties. Under NRS 41.141, an injured driver can still recover compensation as long as the other driver bears more responsibility for the crash than they do. Until the fault is resolved, settlement cannot proceed.
The dollar amount an injured driver is owed cannot be calculated until the medical situation is settled. Doctors need time to determine how serious the injuries are, what treatment will cost going forward, and whether the person can return to work. Insurers know this, waiting for a complete medical picture before putting any real number on the table.
Injuries that do not appear right away are one of the most common sources of delay in Nevada car accident claims. Damage to the spine, soft tissue, and head does not always present with full severity in the days immediately following a crash, which means the medical picture stays incomplete while treatment continues.
Paperwork is another consistent source of delay. Missing records, unverified lost wage claims, or slow responses from medical providers can stall an insurer’s review at any stage. A missing document such as a ticket issued by law enforcement can be another obstacle to your claim, as mentioned in our blog “What Happens When No Ticket Is Issued After a Car Accident in Nevada”.
Nevada law under NRS 686A.310 prohibits conduct classified as unfair, including failing to acknowledge communications promptly, refusing reasonable investigations, and failing to provide a clear explanation when denying a claim or making a settlement offer.
When an insurer requests documentation it has already received, leaves a claim under review without updates, or makes a low offer with no supporting rationale, those patterns may amount to conduct Nevada law prohibits. Most injured drivers have no way to tell the difference between a legitimate investigation and a deliberate runaround. That distinction matters, and it is exactly what an attorney handles.
Settlement stalls most often when two separate clocks are running at once: the medical clock and the legal one. Maximum medical improvement is the point at which a doctor determines that a patient has healed as much as expected and their condition is unlikely to change significantly. Insurers will not finalize a settlement value before that point, because doing so means making educated guesses about future medical costs before the full picture is clear.
The legal side moves no faster. If the other driver’s insurer disputes the sequence of events, challenges the police report, or raises questions about the injured driver’s conduct, those disputes require resolution before any serious negotiation can begin. Prior driving history can also surface during investigations and affect how fault is assigned, including factors like how long a speeding ticket stays on a record in Nevada. Until both are resolved, no number on the table means much.
Drivers who are wondering “Why is my car accident settlement taking so long?” must understand that delays do not always mean a claim is in trouble, but they should never go unaddressed.
Kidwell & Gallagher Injury Lawyers represents injured drivers in Elko and across Nevada who are waiting on insurers, navigating disputed liability, or questioning whether their claim is moving as it should. Call (775) 323-2667 today for a free consultation.
Craig W. Kidwell is the managing partner of Kidwell & Gallagher, Ltd., and exclusively represents injured workers in Nevada. Mr. Kidwell has been practicing workers’ compensation law in Nevada since 1999 and has acted as lead counsel on over 2,000 contested workers’ compensation claims. Mr. Kidwell represents injured workers in Nevada through all stages of Nevada’s complex worker’s compensation system. Craig regularly appears in all levels of Nevada’s administrative workers’ compensation system and has represented injured workers in Nevada’s districts and Supreme Court.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Managing Partner, Craig W. Kidwell who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.