How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim?
After you have been in a personal injury accident, you are likely wondering how long you should wait to file a personal injury claim. You want to know the extent of your injuries and property damage before filing a claim so that you can fight for fair compensation. Otherwise, you may be stuck paying for medical bills out of pocket. It is also helpful to speak with a lawyer after you have been in an accident. If you are concerned about whether you will be able to successfully win your claim, a lawyer can point you in the right direction and help you gather evidence.
Determining When You Should File Your Claim
Immediately following the accident, emotions can be running high: you may feel traumatized by the accident, frazzled, and even angry that it happened. These are all completely normal emotions to feel. However, you should not try to file your claim yet. You also do not want to wait too long to file the claim. You may think that the longer you wait the better idea you will have of the extent of your injuries and the type of medical treatment you need. This is not the case. Your doctor should provide you with a treatment plan shortly after seeing you and should give you an idea of what kinds of costs may be incurred and whether your injury can be treated or whether you will be suffering from a disability.
Additionally, as a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer from a law firm like Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC knows, there is going to be a statute of limitations. This means you will not have an indefinite amount of time to file your claim. Instead, you should speak with your lawyer about the statute of limitations for your state and file before you miss the deadline.
What is the “maximum medical improvement”?
The maximum medical improvement, or MMI, is the point you reach when you will fully improve from your injuries. This does not mean you will be in the same physical condition as before the accident, but it means you are as healthy as you are going to be after you were injured. Your lawyer will want your doctor to discuss what your improvement has been and if you will be living with any type of disability so that your lawyer can understand how to value your case before you settle with insurance.
If you would like legal help for your personal injury claim, reach out to a trusted lawyer today.