Unfortunately, personal injury claims are much more common than many people imagine. In fact, in 2005 alone, the United States Department of Justice reported that out of 26,928 property, contract, and trot trials, 60% of them were related to some kind of personal injury.
If you get injured, you may have some misconceptions about what you’re supposed to do and about personal injury claims in general. Here are four of those myths that should hopefully clear things up.
Myth 1: You have plenty of time to file your claim
Most states have a statute of limitations for personal injury cases. This means that the victim only has a certain amount of time after the accident happens to file a claim. Once the statute of limitations expires, you lose the chance to file forever in most cases.
For instance, the statute of limitation in Georgia for personal injury cases is two years. Usually, this is more than enough time to hire Atlanta personal injury lawyers and file a claim for damages. However, what if the true cause of your injury is not discovered until years later? This is sometimes the case in medical malpractice and product liability cases, so if you have questions about your deadline for filing for damages, contact a personal injury law firm for assistance.
Myth 2: You don’t need to hire a personal injury attorney
For the most part, having an injury attorney for your case is not required, but legal representation can greatly help your case’s chance of success. This is especially true if the defendant is a company or organization, which will almost certainly have a legal team of their own. A personal injury attorney can help you understand all the legal jargon of your case and the procedures involved. Injury attorneys will also help you deal with insurance adjusters and other professionals in the legal process that you may not be equipped to handle on your own.
Myth 3: You have to go to court
Believe it or not, most personal injury cases never go to trial. This is because the vast majority of the time, trials are risky and expensive for defendants and plaintiffs alike. Both parties usually try to negotiate with their attorneys or even third party mediators to help reach a settlement outside of court.
Myth 4: You are guaranteed compensation
Unfortunately, no plaintiff in any personal injury case is guaranteed compensation. Every case is different. They are judged on their own unique characteristics and circumstances. There are no guarantees that you will win your case, no matter what actually happened or how convincing your argument is.
If you are ever involved in a personal injury case, remember that it is important to file the claim as soon as possible. You will be better off if you hire an injury attorney, but you don’t have to go to court. Lastly, remember that you are not guaranteed compensation.