People picture a courtroom. In reality the large majority of injury claims are resolved by negotiation, and the process follows a fairly predictable shape. Knowing that shape makes it much harder for an insurer to rush you.
1. Investigation and Treatment
The first phase is about two things happening in parallel: building the factual record, and getting you properly treated. Police reports, photographs, witness accounts, vehicle damage, and your medical records all get assembled. This is also when evidence is most at risk, which is why early involvement matters.
2. Waiting for Your Condition to Stabilise
This is the step people most want to skip, and the one that costs the most when they do. Until your treatment has stabilised, nobody can say what your injuries are actually worth, because nobody yet knows whether you will fully recover or be left with something permanent. Settle before that point and you are guessing, in the insurer's favour.
3. The Demand
Once the picture is clear, we assemble a demand package: liability, the medical record, treatment costs, lost income, and the effect on your daily life. This is the document that frames the negotiation, and a thin one invites a thin offer.
4. Negotiation
The adjuster responds, usually low. That is a negotiating position rather than an assessment of your claim, and it is not the number to react to. What moves an offer is documentation and a credible willingness to file suit if the number stays unreasonable. If an insurer will not deal fairly at all, Montana law provides its own remedies, which we explain on our insurance claims page.
5. Resolution and Release
When a number is agreed, you sign a release. Read this part carefully: a release ends the claim permanently. If a related problem surfaces six months later, you cannot reopen it. That finality is exactly why the timing in step two matters so much.
How Long Does It Take?
Honestly, it depends. A straightforward claim with clear fault and a full recovery can resolve in a few months. Disputed fault, serious injuries, or an insurer digging in can take considerably longer. Anyone who quotes you a firm timeline before seeing the medical record is guessing. See our personal injury page for how we approach these claims.