After you have been injured in a car accident, the days and weeks can slip by before you even realize it has been months since the accident. The focus on recovery, continual medical care and doctor’s appointments, the lost time at work, and working on getting another car, and even trying to forget and get your life back in order can take a lot of time. After months have gone by, when the medical bills keep adding up, you are still without a car, uncertain about the insurance coverage or lack thereof, you may be wondering about a car accident lawyer or if it is even too late to hire one.
How long do you have to get an attorney after a car accident?
The short answer is that it’s never too late to hire a lawyer for a car accident. If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, then you owe it to your family and yourself to consult with a car accident lawyer, one that has expertise in personal injury law. A lawyer will advise you on filing a personal injury claim, the amount of money being offered, and whether or not to accept it or to take the next step in filing a lawsuit. When injured due to negligence, meeting with a lawyer and filing a claim to pay your medical bills, recover lost wages, repair or replace your car, and related expenses resulting from the injury is the right thing to do.
Though it’s never too late to hire an attorney after a car accident, there is a time limit on when you can collect on damages, expenses, and injuries resulting from that accident. Maine’s personal injury laws can affect whether or not you receive just compensation. Time is a factor. Maine has a statute of limitations when you can file a personal injury lawsuit and go to civil court. The time limit is six years from the date of the accident. Comparatively, though it is one of the longest statutes of limitations in the country, it doesn’t mean you should put off meeting with an attorney. The further in time you are removed from the accident the less likely you will be able to fully remember everything that happened, less likely that all the evidence has been preserved, and even less likely that all your medical bills were saved or can be located.
Is it worth getting a lawyer for a car accident?
The short answer again is, “Yes.” After a car accident, the reality is that big insurance companies who represent negligent drivers will do everything they can to deny or take full accountability. It is in their best interest to see that you receive minimum compensation for your injuries and losses. However, you are the one dealing with the aftermath, the recovery, loss, and expenses. The last thing you should endure is being dissuaded from being fully compensated. The stigma of frivolous lawsuits routinely caricatured and amplified by the media or reluctance to pursue a family member or friend who caused the accident out of concern for how it affects them may give you second thoughts about taking action.
The truth is it’s not about being “sue-happy” or hurting someone’s feelings. It is about you! You did not bring the disruption to your life that the injuries have caused you and your family. It is in your best interest to meet with an experienced car accident lawyer to discuss what happened, for they will let you know what your options are, where you stand, and what your rights are.
If you have been injured in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence, you have a right to receive maximum and just compensation for your injuries and losses. Contact the law offices of Hardy Wolf & Downing for a free consultation. The Maine-based attorneys have helped Mainers receive full compensation for their personal injuries for nearly forty years.