Stage 1 — Reporting and preservation
The incident gets reported to the platform and to the insurers involved. This is also the window to preserve evidence: request nearby video before it is overwritten, save app screenshots, and get the police report once it is filed.
Stage 2 — Treatment and documentation
A claim generally cannot be valued until doctors understand the injury. This stage takes as long as your recovery takes. Consistent treatment, honest reporting of symptoms, and complete records are what carry the claim later.
Stage 3 — Investigation and coverage
Someone has to establish who was at fault and which policies apply: the at-fault driver’s liability coverage, the applicable protection plan, the host’s policy, and your own MedPay, PIP or UM/UIM coverage. In car-sharing crashes this step is often the most time-consuming part.
Stage 4 — Demand
Once treatment stabilizes, a demand package goes to the insurers with the medical records, bills, wage loss proof and a legal argument for the value of the claim.
Stage 5 — Negotiation
Insurers typically open low. Negotiation moves in rounds, and how it goes depends on liability strength, the medical record, available limits, and whether the other side believes the claim will actually be litigated.
Stage 6 — Resolution, or a lawsuit
Most claims settle. If the offer never becomes reasonable or a deadline approaches, filing a lawsuit keeps the claim alive; even then, the majority resolve before trial. Once you settle, you sign a release and the claim is over — which is why settling before you know your full medical picture is risky.
How long does it take?
- Minor injury, clear fault: often a few months after treatment ends
- Moderate injury, coverage disputes: commonly six to eighteen months
- Serious injury or litigation: can run one to three years or longer
Deadlines are not flexible
Each state sets a statute of limitations for injury claims — often two or three years, sometimes as short as one, and much shorter when a government entity is involved. Insurance policies also impose their own notice requirements. Miss them and the strongest case in the world is worth nothing.
Start with a conversation
Send us what happened. A representative will reach out within the day, explain where your situation sits in this process, and connect you with the right help.