A written settlement offer that gives the insurance company a firm deadline to accept and pay, usually warning that the offer will be withdrawn if the deadline passes.

A time-limit demand is often used when fault is clear and the injured person wants to force a prompt decision instead of letting the claim drift. A common example is a serious crash on I-90 where liability is obvious, medical records are complete, and the claimant gives the insurer 10 or 30 days to tender policy limits. The demand usually states the amount sought, includes supporting records, and sets conditions for acceptance. If the insurer ignores it, asks for unnecessary delay, or misses the deadline without a good reason, that can later matter in a bad faith argument.

For an injury claim, the practical effect can be significant. A properly supported time-limit demand may help show the insurer had a fair chance to settle within limits and failed to protect its insured. In Ohio, that issue can connect to failure to settle, policy limits, and a possible excess judgment if the case later results in a verdict above coverage. Ohio does not have a single statute that creates a standard deadline for all time-limit demands, so the wording, documentation, and reasonableness of the deadline matter. A short fuse during a fog-related SR-2 crash claim may be harder to defend unless the insurer already had enough information to evaluate liability and damages.