Perhaps you’ve been the victim of a rather serious car accident that resulted in a lot of injuries. A lot of injuries can mean countless medical bills, lost wages, and who knows what other damage.
As you try to face all these challenges the car accident has created, you see that it’s been around six months since the day of the accident. Can you still file a car injury claim?
The Statute of Limitations Is Bigger Than You Think
In Missouri, you can file a car accident claim up to five years from the date of the accident, so if only 6 months have passed, you can still file a claim to be compensated.
And it’s important to do it, fast. You may want to wait until you’re fully recovered, but you may not have that luxury. Even though the statute of limitations is five years, the more you wait, the harder it may be to win a claim.
Why You Should File a Claim As Soon as Possible
It’s important to take legal actions as soon as you can, to increase your chances of recovering the compensation you are legally entitled to. You will still need to convince the insurance company your side of the story is true.
Not only that, but the final settlement is generally established through negotiations, which means the more evidence you have, the more money you can ask for. The problem is, a lot of evidence in car accidents is rather time-sensitive and may be lost forever if you don’t act fast.
This evidence can include:
- Witness testimony – people can forget important details of an event, which may affect your claim
- Skidmarks, or other road damage
- Video surveillance may be lost
- Some of your injuries can heal, and may not be reflected in your medical bills
Additionally, even for evidence that is not time-sensitive, waiting too long to file a claim always increases the chance of misplacing key documents or files that could prove essential in a car accident claim. For example, you may not be very careful to put all your medical bills neatly in one place, especially if you are dealing with the stress of recovery. But when you file your claim, you will need these bills, and if you can’t find them this may create some issues, such as delays in the proceedings.
What Should You Do?
If you’ve been the victim of a car accident, the law stipulates you have the right to get compensated from the at-fault driver. Time is of the essence here, and although you have five years to file a claim, you should never wait that long. Get in touch with a St. Louis car accident lawyer right away to discuss your case and to find out what your next legal steps should be.