When a personal injury attorney talks with a client about when to finally submit a claim, the focus is usually on achieving maximum physical recovery. This means that, within reason, the client's injuries have healed as much or close to as much as they're likely to. In the world of personal injury law, it's a big deal. Look at why lawyers focus on it.
1. One Shot
With the rare exception of cases involving fraud, claimants only get one shot at obtaining compensation. That means you'll want to be as close as possible to sure that your body has recovered fully. Notably, that's an ideal scenario. Every personal injury attorney is aware that there are practical limits, especially if folks are facing lifelong concerns related to their accidents.
2. Statutes of Limitations
At first blush, it might seem odd to think that statutes of limitations encourage people to take their time with claims. However, the standard in most states for typical injury cases is between two and three years. That means you'll have between two and three years from the date of the accident to submit an official notice and a demand package to the defendant. Your case doesn't have to be wrapped up by then, but you'll have that much time to figure out what's wrong with your body and how much compensation you deserve.
It's worth noting that there are some instances where the statute of limitations for a specific type of case may be shorter or longer. When the government is the defendant, for example, it's common for the statute of limitations to be as short as 6 months. Conversely, cases involving exposure to chemicals tend to have longer statutes of limits. Also, the clock on exposure cases usually doesn't start until the victim knows they were exposed to something dangerous.
3. Reports, Labs, Research, and Exploratory Surgeries
Another reason a personal injury attorney wants to hold off on filing is to assemble the case. It often takes time to conduct research, get lab work, and receive medical reports. That's especially the case if you're waiting for something like exploratory surgery. Depending on the circumstances, the doctor may have to wait for your condition to stabilize before they can take a closer look at what's going on inside your body. Lawyers always want to include these sorts of details, if possible, because authoritative statements from professionals carry massive weight in insurance claims and lawsuits.
You can learn more about handling your case, contact a personal injury attorney.
Share