Understanding Why Your PI Settlement Check Might Be Delayed

Texas is the second-largest state in the country in terms of size as well as population. The state is famous for its rich history, unmistakable southern hospitality, and a legendary culinary scene that includes smoky barbecue and spicy Tex-Mex flavors.

Given its population, economy, and strategic location, accidents are pretty much an everyday occurrence. And if you were to file a claim and everything goes smoothly, you might see your check in about 30 to 45 days after signing the release. But if you’ve got fights over liability, ongoing medical treatment, liens to resolve, or an insurance company that likes to stall, it could take months.

In this blog post, we’ll talk about the reasons why your PI settlement is delayed in Texas.

Factors That Can Slow Down the Arrival of Your Check in a PI Case

Here are some factors that can delay a PI settlement check:

Paperwork Mess-Ups

The paperwork can actually mess everything up. First, you have to sign something called a release. That’s just a paper saying you agree to the settlement terms and won’t sue again later. If you don’t read it carefully or take your time signing it, that adds days or weeks. Even if you sign it right away, sometimes the insurance company drags its feet in sending it.

Now, once you do sign it, the insurance company usually has around 30 days to get your check to you. The problem is that sometimes they’re short-staffed, sometimes they’re backed up with other cases, and sometimes they just don’t move fast because, honestly, they don’t lose money by being slow.

Insurance Companies

As we all very well know, the insurance companies are not your friend. They’re businesses, and businesses want to keep money, not hand it out. So, what do they do? Delay.

Here are the tricks they use:

They make you answer “harmless” questions on the phone, like, “How are you feeling today?” If you say that you’re better, they try to use it against you.
They make “review committees” look at your file over and over again, just to stall.
They sometimes give you a super low offer early, hoping you’ll be tired of waiting and just take it.

That’s why you can’t deal with them alone. If you talk to them without a lawyer, you might accidentally say something that makes them think they can cut your settlement. But if your lawyer handles it, the insurance company can’t play those games.

Fights Over Who Is at Fault

Even if you know exactly what happened in your accident, the other side might refuse the fault or say you were already hurt before the accident, so they don’t owe you much.

When that happens, lawyers and investigators step in. They gather witness statements, doctor records, accident reports, and basically, proof that the accident caused your injuries.

However, all of these take time. Doctors have to write reports, experts have to weigh in, and sometimes you even need accident reconstruction people (they basically replay the crash using science to show who’s really at fault).

If there’s fighting about fault, don’t expect your check fast. That’s just reality.

Courts and Legal Rules

Not all cases go to court, but some do. And even if you don’t end up in a trial, there are rules called protocols that everyone has to follow before you can even file in court. These rules exist to encourage both sides to settle without dragging things out in front of a judge.

But while those rules sound nice on paper, they slow everything down. Sometimes the other side delays on purpose. Sometimes the court itself is overloaded and short-staffed. In Texas, court delays are a huge reason why settlements don’t show up fast.

Liens

When you get medical care after an accident, the hospital, your health insurance, or even Medicare or Medicaid may file something called a lien.

Your lawyer has to negotiate those liens before you get your money. Sometimes it’s fast, but sometimes hospitals and insurance companies drag their feet. They want to squeeze every penny they can, and that slows things down.

Quick Recap: Why Your Check Might Be Delayed

Paperwork mistakes or slow-release forms.
Insurance companies are dragging their feet on purpose.
Fights over who’s at fault.
Court delays and legal protocols.
Ongoing medical treatment that needs to be finished first.

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More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:

Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
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Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
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Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

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For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

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Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
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US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.