You’ve been hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault. At first, you thought you might be okay. You did your best to get back to normal after the accident. You tried to go back to work–to resume your normal activities. All you want to do is put this whole mess behind you. But that’s just not working. You’re still in pain. A lot of it. Life is not the same as it was before, and you’re afraid that the aftermath of this accident is going to affect you for years to come. You’re wondering if it’s too late to file a personal injury claim. How long do you have?
States have varying laws when it comes to personal injury claims. In the state of Indiana, the statute of limitations to file most personal injury claims is two years. But if you happen to have been in an accident involving a government entity–a city, county or state employee, for example–you have only 90 days!
How do you know if your injuries are serious enough to file a personal injury claim and how do you avoid missing your window of opportunity to be compensated for your injury and loss before it’s too late? Here are some things to consider if you’re wondering when you should file a personal injury claim in Indiana.
Don’t leave it in the hands of insurance agents.
At the end of the day, insurance claims representatives don’t work for you. They work for a company that has an eye on their bottom line, and it’s not in their best interest to settle your insurance claim too quickly, nor will they be inclined to grant you extra damages for your pain and suffering. You need an experienced personal injury attorney to fight for the compensation you deserve and ensure that the clock doesn’t run out before your claim is settled.
Think about the future.
You may have found ways to “live with” your injury at this point. Maybe you’re parking your car closer to work or have received some consideration at work for a lighter load. Perhaps a significant other, family or friends have taken over some of your previous household duties. But you can’t expect the special treatment to continue long terms. So you must think about how your injuries will affect your ability to make a living five or ten years from now? What if you lose your job and can’t get another one because of your limitations? Don’t get complacent in your current situation. If you’re not 100 percent in the months that follow the accident, and you haven’t filed a personal injury claim yet, don’t jeopardize your future. Get help right away from a personal injury attorney you can trust.
Consider the process.
A personal injury lawsuit can take as long as two years to be settled. In the meantime, you still have bills to pay and day-to-day responsibilities to attend to. If your injury has caused you to adjust your schedule or work shorter hours, even temporarily, that shortfall is going to catch up with you sooner rather than later. If you realize that you need to be compensated for that loss, but haven’t started the process yet, it could be years before you see that compensation. That’s why it’s best to speak to a personal injury attorney as as soon as possible after your accident, so you’re not starting from scratch after you’re already behind the eight ball.
Get a fighter on your team.
When you’ve been hurt in an accident, you need to focus on taking care of yourself and healing. You probably don’t have the time or emotional energy to fight for what you deserve. That’s why it’s so important to get a fighter on your team, before it’s too late to make things right.
If you live in Jackson County, in or near southern Indiana or central Indiana, and need the services of a trusted, compassionate and experienced personal injury attorney, contact Zach Miller today. His offices are in Brownstown, Indiana and he serves clients in Indianapolis, Bloomington, Columbus, Jeffersonville and Seymour, as well as neighboring towns. Zach can also help with other legal matters, like estate planning, criminal record expungements, divorce, He’s just a phone call away.
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