There’s very little we can do to control the actions of those around us and, sometimes, their actions cause us pain. Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident can be difficult – you’re living with your injuries, after all – but there are actions you need to start taking sooner, rather than later.
Legal time considerations
When you are the victim of a car accident and injured due to the negligence of another, Georgia gives you the right to file a personal injury lawsuit. The purpose of this right is to allow you to be made whole again. But at the same time Georgia gives you the right, it also places a time limit on that right.
This is known as the statute of limitations – in most cases, the limit is two years. What it means is that, if you are injured in a car accident, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss the deadline, you lost your right to sue forever.
Practical time considerations
Beyond the legal time limit, however, is the effective time limit. The success of your personal injury lawsuit depends upon solid evidence. An investigation must be completed and that evidence has to be collected – sooner, rather than later. Witnesses must be interviewed and necessary documents gathered. And the problem is, the more time which passes, the more memories fade and evidence becomes stale.
So, while the law may give you up to two years to act, delaying that long can easily degrade the evidence which makes up your case, hurting your chances of success. Acting quickly ensures your personal injury lawsuit will be as strong as possible, allowing you to recover the compensation you’re entitled to and holding the negligent party responsible for their actions.