After a car accident, life may become a blur of medical appointments and tasks associated with resolving this incident. If someone else caused the accident and left you with serious injuries, you’ll also be working with your employer to take time off and follow doctors’ orders.
You’ll also need to let your insurer know that you were in an accident, but beyond that, you shouldn’t say anything else. It’s best to call Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers who can take over this process. Remember, your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is in place to cover your injuries, but it likely won’t be enough to pay for all those medical bills or buffer your lost wages.
Insurers tend to offer low payouts or deny claims, which may make you wonder, “Is it too late to hire a lawyer after a car accident?” No, it’s not too late, but it is best that you hire one before you talk to your insurer so you can tell them you were in an accident but that you have hired an attorney.
Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers specializes in representing personal injury cases, including car accidents cases. We work to advocate for injured victims to aggressively pursue compensation while providing compassionate representation. In this article, we discuss when to hire a car accident attorney and what deadlines you need to know for your case.
Why It’s Important to Hire an Attorney Soon After a Car Accident
While you may easily be able to resolve a minor fender bender through your insurance on your own, things get more complicated when you have serious injuries. You may be in the hospital for days or weeks and then try to chase after your insurance company for your settlement. If your insurance only has the minimum coverage, you will need to pursue the other driver’s insurer, or the other driver themselves.
Since many car accident victims that sustain severe injuries are taken from the accident scene to the hospital via ambulance, this means it’s unlikely they can capture evidence of their own. Photos, videos, police reports, and witness statements can all prove the other driver was negligent and caused you harm. When you leave the accident scene without these things, they are harder to get. The more time that elapses, the less likely there will be for evidence to remain.
Many people wonder when to hire an attorney, though the truth is that you can hire an attorney at any time. However, the sooner you hire one, the better off you will be when filing your car accident claim. They can quickly get started investigating, gathering evidence, and preparing for the event of trial to get the settlement you deserve.
Understanding the Timelines and Deadlines for Filing a Car Accident Claim
When you are in a car accident, even when you aren’t at fault, you are required to inform your insurance company as soon as possible. Generally, anywhere from 24 to 72 hours is an acceptable timeframe for reporting the accident to your auto insurance company.
You also will have 14 days maximum to make an injury claim with your insurance. It is essential that you get medical treatment as promptly as possible to prevent having issues with your claim. Many injured victims go through this process without incident, though many others will be rejected for a number of reasons. Insurance companies are always looking for ways to minimize a payout and may offer too little to cover the costs, or they may deny the claim.
This leaves you with the option of pursuing a car accident lawsuit, which has its own set of deadlines known as the statute of limitations. Previously, this time limit was set at 4 years from the date of the accident, though the laws were updated in 2023. Now car accident victims have only 2 years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit.
While it may sound like plenty of time, much of it will have ebbed away at this point as you endure endless calls to the insurance company and chase your tail trying to figure out what you’re supposed to do next. Ideally, hiring your attorney when you first begin the claims process is best, though you can hire one at any time.
It’s Not Too Late to Get a Car Accident Attorney Consultation Today
If your injuries are painful or will even cause permanent impacts for you, the time to hire an attorney is right now. A late car accident attorney consultation can help you by picking up where you left off in your pursuit of compensation.
The auto accident lawyers at Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers can step in at any time before the statute of limitations has run out and help you recover your damages. Schedule a consultation today to find out how we can help you move forward.
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