Two years. California sets the statute of limitations on car accident personal injury claims at two years from the date of the accident. In some cases, the deadline counts down from the date the injury was discovered.
It’s why victims should react quickly to any pain or discomfort they feel in the days, weeks, or months after a collision. Pain and injuries can remain hidden on the day of an accident. There’s a lot going on, and victims may also be in shock.
An injury can make itself known later, and victims can still seek support from the at-fault driver’s car insurer. Victims may also suffer with a lingering injury, but not realize that they are eligible for benefits. This two-year deadline offers a cushion to make sure all victims receive the compensation they need.
Reasons to Take Action Quickly After a Car Accident
While you may have years to file a claim, it’s a good idea to explore filing as soon as possible.
In some cases, you may have soreness that doesn’t seem to be going away. You might have numbness in your hand that doesn’t heal after a week. It’s critical to get these aches and pains checked out by your own physician, even if you’ve already been to the emergency room. Hairline fractures and brain injuries can hide for days or weeks.
When you delay in getting new pain checked out, it can be harder to prove you were the victim in the accident and that your injury is related.
These are some of the key reasons to speak to a lawyer as soon as you realize you have a serious injury:
- Fresh evidence can disappear or become hard to obtain the longer you wait.
- Surveillance video can be erased.
- Witnesses can become hard to find.
- The longer you wait to file a claim, the longer you may have to wait for support to pay your medical bills.
- Car insurance companies may act first, extend to you what seems like a fair settlement offer, and pressure you to sign. It may be a “lowball” offer that doesn’t cover all of your medical bills. Suddenly, you are responsible for some of your healthcare expenses over a crash you didn’t cause.
A skilled car accident lawyer is your safeguard against this type of treatment. Your lawyer backs your case with evidence (even if some time has passed since the accident). Your lawyer gets aggressive if a car insurance company tries to blame you for the accident.
Your lawyer can help you determine how much time you have left to file a claim. Then your lawyer demands the most for your injury possible on your behalf.
Reach Out to a Modesto Car Accident Attorney for a Free Case Consultation
Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Modesto to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a real Modesto car accident lawyer. We can help you even if your accident occurred a year or longer in the past.
We want to hear what happened to you. We’re going to answer your questions and make sure you are prepared for the insurance tactics you’ll face so you don’t forfeit valuable support.
There’s no obligation when you talk to us, but if you feel we can help you get the most out of your injury claim, you’ll need no upfront money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement you receive.