Deciding Whether to File a Lawsuit After Your Car Accident

Deciding Whether to File a Lawsuit After Your Car Accident

A car accident can leave you in shock and unsure about your next moves. To make things more complicated, you might also have sustained substantial injuries from the wreck that are now impacting your personal life, work-life, and financial situation. You might wonder if you should file a lawsuit, or if you’re even entitled to, and if it’s worth your time. Here are some things to consider that might help determine whether you should file a lawsuit.

Need

If you’re racking up medical bills from physical therapy, emergency room visits, prescriptions, or disabilities caused by the accident, and you’re losing hours at work because of it, you might need compensation from the insurance company to keep out of debt. The effort of filing a claim or potentially seeking a lawsuit might seem overwhelming, but it may be the only way to get your life progressing in a forward motion again.

Claims 

Usually, you can file a claim for your losses with the insurance of the negligent driver. A claims adjuster from their agency will work with you to investigate your claims, deciding compensation and handle payments. However, a claim might not cover all the expenses you’ve paid because of the crash, and you may have to take it a step further.

Impact of Injuries 

Determining the severity of your personal injuries from the crash is essential to your case. How they affect your life financially will influence the amount you’ll get from the insurance agency. Don’t just look at the injuries you sustained immediately following the crash, but consider injuries that might appear down the road. If you file a claim prematurely, you may not get coverage for later injuries that could rack up large bills.

Timeline 

If you want to wait to see if more injuries occur, you’ll need to know how much time you have to file a claim or lawsuit. Every state has its own statute of limitations, which are laws that determine how much time you have to file. This can range from two to six years after the accident. Researching your own state’s statute of limitations is key to avoiding accidently missing the deadline and forfeiting important recompense.

While You Wait

Contact a car accident lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee to discuss your accident. They’ll be able to guide you through the policy jargon and help you determine if you have a case worth pursuing in court if your claim didn’t pay off enough. Keep detailed records of all your medical bills and other expenses directly affected by the accident for later use. You never know when you may need them in a trial.

Thanks to Patterson Bray for their insight into personal injury claims and filing a lawsuit after a car accident.