Insurance companies must resolve and pay or deny a car accident claim within a “reasonable” period of time, but there’s no fixed number of days defined by law for this. What qualifies as reasonable depends on the specifics of the case, how quickly you provide the required documentation, and whether there are legitimate disputes about the claim. If an insurer takes too long without a valid reason, you may need to pursue legal remedies to enforce payment within the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit.

Yes — you still have a personal injury claim even if your health insurance covered all your medical treatment. The at-fault driver (and their insurer) remains responsible for compensating you for your injuries, including the cost of treatment, and the fact that another party paid your bills doesn’t eliminate your right to pursue damages. Under Georgia law, evidence that someone else paid your medical bills is generally not admissible to reduce the at-fault party’s liability, although you may have to repay your health insurer for what it paid once you recover compensation.

If your car is declared a total loss after an accident, the insurance company will pay its actual cash value (ACV) to your lender, but it does not have to pay the full remaining loan balance if the loan is higher than that value. Because vehicles depreciate, it’s common for the insurance payout to be less than what you still owe, and in that case you remain legally responsible for paying the difference to your lender. One way to help avoid this gap is to have GAP insurance, which can cover the shortfall between the insurer’s payout and your outstanding loan.