If you are involved in a car accident due to the negligence of another party, you can hire a lawyer to handle your case. The sooner the better. By the way, how much time do you have to contact a lawyer? When is it too late to find a lawyer for a car accident? It is important that you know when you should contact a lawyer so that your case is handled quickly and you can get fair compensation.
When is it Too Late to Seek a Lawyer for a Car Accident?
There are two main examples of when it is too late to get a lawyer after you have been involved in a car accident:
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- When your statute of limitations has expired. For example, in California and Nevada, you have two years to file a claim or compensation after suffering injuries and losses resulting from a car accident.
- When the other party’s insurance company offers you a settlement, then you accept it by signing the settlement agreement.
If there were no injuries or losses you suffered as a result of a car accident, you might not think about getting a lawyer. However, if you experience injuries and losses as a result of the accident, we strongly recommend that you immediately consult with someone who is experienced in car accident cases.
If you wait too long to contact an attorney, you risk approaching the statute of limitations or losing new evidence. Although there is no specific time limit on when you should get an attorney, you should not wait too long to contact an attorney after an accident occurs. By contacting an attorney as soon as possible, you will be able to choose the best course of action to obtain the fair compensation you deserve after suffering injuries and financial losses. Typically, a car accident attorney will advise you not to accept the first settlement offer from the other party’s insurance company. This is because other parties’ insurance companies often provide low and unfair compensation amounts for you as a car accident victim in personal injury cases.
Keep in mind that settlement applications can take months. Therefore, you should not delay in asking for help from a lawyer because it is feared that you will have difficulty getting a settlement from the party responsible so that you will not be able to get fair compensation.
It should be noted that each state has a statute of limitations for filing a car accident claim. The time limit here is the time period that a person involved in a car accident has to file a lawsuit against another party who has caused injury or loss. As we said in the previous paragraph, the statute of limitations for car accidents in California and Nevada is two years. Some states may give you more time, while others may also give you less time.
How Long Should You Get a Lawyer After a Car Accident?
There is no definite answer regarding how long you should get a lawyer after a car accident. Of course, the sooner you get a lawyer, the better. When you are injured in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence, you must immediately contact your family. Then, immediately contact a lawyer who is experienced in handling car accident cases, who is of course an expert in personal injury law.
An experienced attorney will provide you with information on how to file a personal injury claim and how to obtain fair compensation for you. In addition, the lawyer will also provide advice on whether you should take the next step in filing a lawsuit. When you are injured due to the negligence of another party, accompanied by a lawyer, you can ask the other party to repair or replace your car, pay your medical bills, recover lost wages, and claim costs for other losses resulting from the accident.
Remember that there is a time limit on when you can file a claim for injuries, costs and damage or losses you experienced as a result of the accident. Each state has different time limits. If in California and Nevada you have a claim filing deadline of 2 years from the time of the accident, Maine has a claim filing deadline of 6 years. Apparently, Maine has the longest claim filing statute of limitations in the country. However, wherever you live, you should immediately contact a lawyer if you are in a car accident that results in injury and loss.
Problems That Happen If You Take Too Long to Get a Lawyer
If you take too long to get a lawyer to handle a car accident case involving you, then several problems are likely to occur, such as:
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Loss of Evidence
You may not be able to find enough evidence to support your statement or case. This is because some types of information may be lost over time. For example, other drivers who were at the scene of a car accident delete their dash cam footage. If you have little evidence, then the court or claims adjuster will likely place more liability on you. For your information, Indiana applies comparative fault rules where your compensation can be reduced based on the percentage of your fault. However, if you have sufficient evidence, you can challenge the allegation of mutual guilt.
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Missing Expense Records
If you take too long to get a lawyer, you may also have lost some records of expenses related to your car accident, such as records of transportation costs, car repair costs or your medical costs. As a result, the lawyer will not be able to get a more accurate estimate of the total losses you have experienced, resulting in an unfair and insufficient settlement amount.
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Not Enough Time to Complete it
If you don’t immediately get a lawyer, whether due to personal problems or other problems, the progress of your case will be hampered. You and your attorney may not have enough time to complete your case. Or, worse, you and your attorney will run out of time and miss the filing deadline. Of course, this will prevent you from recovering damages and getting a settlement through lawsuits.
When Should You Contact a Car Accident Lawyer?
After you have a car accident, you should immediately contact a car accident lawyer. Never delay or wait a long time to contact a lawyer. Because with the help of a lawyer, you will be able to start an insurance claim for the car accident that happened to you so that you can get proper compensation.
In fact, even if you are still at the scene of a car accident, you can immediately contact a lawyer to ask for help. Once the lawyer has information about your accident, the lawyer will guide you, explaining what things to do and not to do so that you avoid accidentally breaking any laws. Apart from that, the lawyer will also remind you to collect evidence, such as taking photos of the collision.
A lawyer can still help you even if you are in the process of a car accident claim or lawsuit. Here are some situations where you can still get a lawyer:
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- You have just been in a car accident
- You have just started filing an insurance claim.
- A claims adjuster has made you a low and inadequate settlement offer.
- The other party threatens you to file a lawsuit
- You want to file a lawsuit.
Other Benefits of Getting a Car Accident Lawyer Early
Here are some other benefits of getting a lawyer immediately after an accident occurs:
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Have more time to handle cases
If you get a car accident lawyer earlier, then you and the lawyer will have more time and be more relaxed to handle your case. You and your lawyer will be more focused on managing your case, so you won’t be rushed by time restrictions. Additionally, an attorney can also look into your case for early tolling exceptions. For your information, tolling exceptions are special circumstances that can move or change your application deadline. For example, if you have been in a coma for a while, then you will likely be given a tolling exception.
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Newer and more recent evidence
The sooner you get a car accident lawyer, the sooner you and the lawyer can start filing your claim, the evidence will be fresher and more up to date. The chances of undesirable things happening, such as evidence being lost, deleted or damaged, will be smaller.
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Get a more accurate estimate of costs or losses
If you contact an attorney early, the attorney can immediately begin to find out a more accurate estimate of the costs or damages you may experience related to the accident, after you begin car repairs or medical treatment. A lawyer will help you detail all the costs and losses you have experienced so that you will get a more accurate picture of how much compensation you deserve.
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