My sister's claim is dragging on forever — she has a toddler and no income coming in

I went through almost this exact situation — self-employed, liability was clear, but the claim still dragged on for months. What I learned the hard way is that "they accepted liability" does NOT mean they're in a hurry to pay. They're basically waiting to see how desperate you get so they can lowball the settlement. The waiting is a strategy on their end, unfortunately.

Please tell your sister to be really careful right now. Once liability is admitted, adjusters sometimes shift into a different kind of pressure mode — they might reach out with a 'we just want to get this wrapped up for you' offer that sounds generous but is almost certainly way less than what she's owed, especially with ongoing medical stuff and lost income. Getting anything in writing before she's done treating could seriously hurt her.

I used to work on the insurance side and I can tell you — self-employed claimants are genuinely harder to value, and some adjusters will use that as an excuse to drag their feet or underpay. The key is documentation. Tax returns, client invoices, Venmo/PayPal records, even texts from clients booking her — anything that shows what she was making before the injury. The more paper trail she has, the less room they have to lowball her income losses.

On the lawsuit funding / advance question — those products exist and they're sometimes called pre-settlement funding or litigation funding. They're not loans exactly, but they're also not free money. You only pay back if you win, but the fees can be steep. It's worth asking her attorney about it before she signs anything with one of those companies, because some attorneys have opinions about which ones are less predatory. As for a second opinion — she's absolutely allowed to consult another attorney. Most do free consultations and it doesn't mean she has to switch.

Not legal advice, but just so she knows: consulting a second attorney doesn't automatically mean firing the first one, and most PI attorneys won't charge for a case review. If she feels like her case isn't getting attention, that's a valid reason to ask questions. Self-employed income loss claims are totally compensable — they just require more documentation than a standard pay stub situation. A good attorney should be actively helping her build that paper trail, not just waiting on the insurance company.

One thing I'd flag from the medical side — make sure she is NOT skipping or delaying appointments because of cost or logistics. I know that sounds hard with a toddler and no income, but gaps in treatment are something insurance companies point to later and say 'see, she wasn't that hurt.' Consistency in her care record protects both her health and her claim.

Honestly just want to say you're a good sibling for advocating for her. People in her situation often feel too embarrassed or exhausted to push for what they deserve. Keep showing up for her — it matters more than you know.

Two things: First, have her gather every piece of financial documentation she can find going back at least a year before the accident — tax filings, receipts, client payment records, all of it. Second, have her ask her attorney directly: 'What is the current status and what is the expected timeline?' If she can't get a straight answer, that's information too.

Quick question — is she still in active medical treatment or has she been discharged? Claims usually can't fully settle until treatment is wrapped up (or close to it) because you don't know the full extent of damages yet. If she's still treating, the wait might actually be protecting her rather than hurting her. What's her attorney saying about timing specifically?