If you are injured from an automobile accident, it can take you some time to think about filing a personal injury claim. While you might be hesitant to file a claim, you have a limited amount of time to file when there is a statute of limitations in place. Each state is a bit different, and your insurance company may have a limit to how long you can wait before filing a claim for injuries or for property damage. In many cases, you have two years to file a claim for injuries, and three years to file a claim for property damage. Know what the statute of limitations in your state is and file a claim before you run out of time.
Proving Your Case After Time Has Passed
When you wait to file a personal injury claim, it can be more difficult to prove your case. If there were witnesses that could describe the accident in great detail, their memories will fade over time. If the authorities responded to the scene of the automobile accident, a report will be filed that details the accident. This is only the starting point for your claim, and you will want to have witnesses testify on your behalf if you take your case to trial.
The Injuries You Sustained
One reason people wait to file a personal injury claim is that they have not reached a medical end to treatment. When your injuries are substantial, you might not heal fully for some time. It will be difficult to decide if you have reached your potential, or if you can expect to continue to heal from your injuries. As your compensation will depend on the nature of your injuries, it's important to document your treatment throughout your healing. Even when you aren't fully healed, you can file a personal injury claim to get the process started.
Getting Legal Help In Place
An automobile accident attorney can help you, but the earlier you seek services, the stronger your case will become. An attorney can help guide you through the process of filing a claim and will be able to give you advice when it's early on in your recovery. If you wait too long to file, your attorney is only going to have so much time to try and put together a strong case. When you work with an attorney early on, you will have an easier time proving your personal injury case.
Sadly, many people are injured due to someone else's negligence. Maybe you were in a car accident that was the other driver's fault, and now you're dealing with relentless back pain. Or perhaps your neighbor's dog bit you, and you're considering suing them. Both of these scenarios fall under the legal umbrella of personal injury law.
Since proving someone else is responsible for your injuries can be challenging, the world of personal injury law is a vast one. Your own attorney is your best source of information directly related to your own case, but we created this website to give you a good basic overview of what your personal injury case may entail — and what you can expect when you meet with your attorney. Dig in and start reading our articles; you'll soon feel more informed as to what's to come.