How Long Does It Take to Get an Insurance Check After a Car Accident? A Complete Texas Guide
Understanding the Insurance Check Timeline
Insurance companies don’t send out checks automatically. Before they release payment, several steps must happen behind the scenes.
1. Liability Must Be Determined
Before anything else, the insurance company must decide who was at fault.
They will review:
The police report
Photographs and videos
Statements from you and their insured
Any witness information
Vehicle damage and property damage estimates
If liability is clear, this part is fast.
If liability is disputed, this can slow the case down significantly.
Medical Treatment Plays a Major Role in Timeline
2. Your Medical Treatment Must Be Close to Complete
Insurance companies will not fully evaluate your claim until:
You complete treatment or
Your doctor can confirm future care needs
Why? Because the value of your claim is based on:
Injury severity
Length of treatment
What types of treatment you required
Whether you need future medical care
If you are still actively treating, the insurance company cannot finalize the settlement amount.
Liens and Medical Bills Often Cause Delays
This is where most clients experience delays — and they never see it coming.
3. Hospital Liens
Texas law allows hospitals to file a lien if they treated you immediately after the crash.
These liens must be resolved before money can be paid.
4. Health Insurance Subrogation
If health insurance paid any medical bills, they may legally demand reimbursement.
This includes:
Private insurance plans
ERISA plans
Medicare
Medicaid
VA/TriCare
Each of these entities works on their own timeline — and some are notoriously slow.
5. Child Support Liens
If you owe back child support, the state can intercept a portion of your settlement.
The Attorney General must issue a release of lien before your attorney can distribute funds.
All of these lienholders can significantly delay payment unless an attorney continuously follows up and negotiates reductions.
How Fast the Insurance Company Issues the Check
6. Once the Settlement Is Finalized
After the final number is agreed to and all lien issues are resolved, the insurance company issues payment.
This usually takes:
3–7 days to print and mail the check
Faster if they allow overnighting or direct pickup (rare)
The check is typically made payable to:
You
Your attorney
Your law firm’s trust account
Your lawyer must deposit it, wait for the bank to clear it, and then disburse the funds.
How an Attorney Speeds Up the Entire Process
Many people don’t realize this, but the longest delays usually come from bills and liens—not the insurance company.
A good personal injury attorney speeds this up by:
Negotiating medical bills & reducing balances
Getting lienholders to respond faster
Demanding updated medical records quickly
Handling all insurance communication
Making sure no paperwork is missing
Ensuring medical providers send final itemized bills
Getting reductions so you keep more of your settlement
Without an attorney, people often wait months on lien paperwork they didn’t even know existed.
