Explanation of the Statute of Limitations on Car Accident Injury Claims

If you were injured in an accident, you may wish to contact an auto accident attorney for answers about when and how you can file a claim. When someone acted negligently and caused your car accident as a result, there are limitations and laws regarding filing an injury claim against them. There are rules, and there are exceptions to the rules which makes it important that you consult an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible after sustaining an injury. We offer a free consultation with our auto accident attorney in Canoga Park CA so that you can discuss your case and make informed decisions.

What is an injury claim?  

An injury claim is a documentation of damages that a victim submits as a demand for compensation for those damages. Usually, the injury claim is submitted to the insurance company of the at-fault party. Preparing and submitting an injury claim to the appropriate party is often overwhelming for victims who have never done this before, and who may also be suffering from their injury. Our auto accident attorney at Barry P. Goldberg is available to help victims with this process. We do not charge in advance of handling injury cases; we charge a modest percentage of the settlement that we negotiate on your behalf.

What documentation is included in an injury claim?

When an injury is relatively minor, and the resulting damages are minimal, an accident victim can usually file the claim on their own because the amount of documentation should be fairly straightforward. If the claim is for a significant injury, the documentation should include details about how the accident occurred, who caused it, the resulting injury, and the costs for treatment and all related costs such as the income you can’t earn while you recover. Your auto accident attorney can help you detail all of the information that should be included in the claim, along with supporting documentation such as evidence as to how the accident happened.

The Statute of Limitations

California has a statute of limitations regarding filing an injury claim. The statute of limitations is essentially a time limit by which a victim must file the claim in relation to when they were injured. If they file the claim after the statute of limitations has passed, their claim will be denied. To add confusion, the statute of limitations time period does not usually begin until after the victim becomes aware of their injury. If they are misdiagnosed, or symptoms do not present until sometime in the future, the statute of limitations period might be extended.

It’s best to consult a Canoga Park CA auto accident attorney from our firm who can consider the details of your case and tell you when your statute of limitations will expire, if it has not already expired. Do not delay in contacting our office to request a free consultation with our auto accident attorney to discuss your case before it’s too late.

If you were injured in a car accident that you did not cause, contact us at Barry P. Goldberg to discuss your case with our auto accident attorney Canoga Park CA clients trust during a free consultation.