If you have been injured in a car accident, you need to know how long you have to file a claim. This is important because filing a lawsuit after the statute of limitations has run may mean that you lose your right to sue.
If you are unsure how much time you have to file a claim, contact a Miami auto accident lawyer today. They can read through your insurance policy and determine how much time you have.
Statute of Limitations
In Miami and across Florida, there are strict deadlines to file a personal injury lawsuit. These laws, called statutes of limitations, are designed to help ensure justice is served and that evidence can be properly collected in a timely manner.
A delay in filing an injury claim can make it more difficult to collect crucial evidence and may even result in your claim being denied or reduced. A late claim also raises the risk of your injuries worsening over time, which means you lose the opportunity to obtain financial compensation for damages like medical bills and lost wages.
The Statute of Limitations in Florida, for instance, generally limits car accident claims to four years from the date of the crash. If you wait longer than this, the defense will likely bring your case to court, and the court will dismiss it.
Who’s at Fault?
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you’ll have to determine who’s at fault. This can be tricky, especially in Florida where the legal concept of comparative fault plays a role in personal injury cases.
Your Miami car accident lawyer can help you identify who is at fault for the crash and recover damages from them. Depending on your situation, you may also be entitled to compensation for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering.
Insurance companies regularly use a variety of tactics to deprive victims of their rightful settlements, which is why it’s important to have a trusted car accident attorney on your side. These attorneys are experts at analyzing these defense tactics and using them to your advantage.
Insurance Coverage
A car accident can be a devastating experience. It can cause serious injuries, high medical bills and loss of income.
A Miami car accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for all of these losses. They will help you get the money you need to cover your expenses, repair your vehicle and replace lost wages if you are unable to work.
If you are injured in a car crash, you should contact your insurer as soon as possible. They will give you information about filing your claim and deadlines for reporting it. It is also a good idea to file a police report.
Damages
The damages that can be claimed in a car accident claim can vary depending on the specifics of each case. However, there are some damages that can be considered economic and are easier to quantify: medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
There are also non-economic damages that are harder to measure but often worth claiming, such as loss of enjoyment of life. It can be challenging to calculate how much non-economic damages are worth, but this is something that your attorney will have a good idea of after assessing your circumstances.
As with all claims, it is important to take steps after a Miami car accident to maximize your potential compensation. You should report the crash to police, move your vehicle, document damage to all vehicles involved no matter how minor or major, and obtain the names, addresses and contact information of witnesses.