Act Fast After a Car Crash: Understanding Statute of Limitations
You may wonder what the timeline to retain an attorney is after a car crash. If you get into a car crash in North Carolina, you’re probably going to suffer some pretty serious injuries. While some accidents are just fender benders, others involve a terrific impact. You could be out of work for weeks or even months. You may need surgery and physical therapy.
While you don’t have file your claim immediately – in fact, you shouldn’t do this – you don’t want to wait too long. In North Carolina, you only have a certain amount of time to file suit. The statute of limitations in North Carolina is only three (3) years. This means you only three years to file suit.
Since you only have three years, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. They’ll need to prepare your case if you expect to recover damages. You don’t want to make your North Carolina car accident lawyer’s job any harder than it already is.
How Soon Do You Need to File Your Claim?
If you get into a car crash in North Carolina, you should contact an experienced car accident immediately. Once you’ve sorted things out with the police, you need to go for medical treatment. As soon as you’re well enough to handle your affairs, you should make that call to your lawyer.
Some people tend to wait until after their insurance claim is denied to meet with a car accident attorney. However, this isn’t the best idea. When you file your claim, you have no idea if it’s going to be paid or denied. Once it’s denied, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle to get it paid.
If you hire your lawyer right away, they can help you file your claim. This will improve your chances of getting paid. This alone makes it worth it to contact a car accident lawyer right away.
If you wait too long to talk to a lawyer, you’re only hurting your chances of recovery. Your lawyer is able to do things that you cannot. They have years of experience handling cases just like yours. Give them as much time as possible to prepare your case.
Do You Really Need a Car Accident Attorney?
There is no law that says you need to hire a lawyer to handle your car accident case. You are allowed to handle it yourself. However, this is not always such a good idea.
You’re going to want a local attorney to handle your auto accident case. They know the laws in North Carolina. They also have relationships with the local insurance adjusters and attorneys. This can make all the difference when it comes to winning or losing your case.
Your attorney will start out by handling your insurance claim. They’ll reach out to the insurance adjuster and try to get your claim paid. They’ll also make sure the insurance company doesn’t try to take advantage of you.
The insurance adjuster will try to make it look like the accident was your fault. They’ll try to prove you were the negligent party. Your North Carolina auto accident attorney will make sure this doesn’t happen.
Your lawyer will also protect your rights. You don’t want to sign a settlement release with the insurance company without having a skilled attorney review the document. You could be signing away your rights to compensation. You don’t want to do this.
Your attorney will also conduct an initial investigation to determine fault. They’re talking to the officer who was at the scene. They’ll get a copy of the accident report. Your lawyer will also reach out to witnesses to see what they saw.
If need be, your lawyer will hire experts to review your case. This way, if your case goes to court, you’ll have someone ready to testify on your behalf.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney in North Carolina
If you or your loved one have been injured in a car accident, you need to call a North Carolina car accident attorney. You can schedule your free initial consultation today. This lets you sit down with an experienced lawyer who can answer any questions you may have.
Your accident lawyer will also review your case and let you know what it may be worth. If they don’t think you have a case, they’ll let you know. But, if the defendant was at fault, they’ll work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.
Contact Harman Law online today or call us at (704) 286-0947 and schedule your initial consultation. It’s absolutely free and you pay nothing until you settle your case.
