If you have been injured in a Radcliff car accident, you observe a deadline to when you can file an accident claim. Your time to take legal action may only be short, depending on who you are suing and the details of your case. Not filing within the deadline can result in you losing your right to seek compensation. Thus, you must hire a Radcliff Car Accident Lawyer as soon as possible after the crash to know your rights and file a claim on time.
Various Deadlines to Observe
In Kentucky, a no-fault car insurance system exists is practiced. This system requires drivers to carry personal injury protection (PIP) to pay for the injuries suffered after an accident. PIP prevents accident victims from filing a claim against the driver at fault unless the injuries sustained meet certain requirements.
If you are looking to file an accident claim against a party other than your insurer, the legal deadline for the lawsuit depends on the following:
- Whether you bought PIP coverage. Radcliff drivers can choose not to purchase PIP; however, it cuts the statute of limitations in half. Those who wish to sue another motorist and don’t have PIP coverage only have a year from the accident date to file a claim.
- If you stopped paying your PIP payments. Victims of car accidents should file claims with their insurer first. They have two years to file a lawsuit against another motorist. The clock starts ticking from the date they last make payments for their PIP insurance.
- Whether fatality is involved. Surviving loved ones of a killed victim in a car accident have a year from the death date to file a claim.
- If you are filing a claim for vehicle damage. If you are looking to be compensated for property damage such as vehicle repairs or replacements, you have a couple of years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit.
Reasons Statutes of Limitations Exist on Car Accidents
The statute of limitations in Radcliff exists since evidence from crashes can disappear over time. You can sustain latent injuries, lose consciousness for a long time following the accident, or have a problem finding the at-fault motorist. Sometimes, the court may let you file a claim after the deadline as long as you have good cause. But such exceptions are quite rare.
After a car accident, you will face uncertainties, pains, and stresses. You may not have the full energy you can use for bringing a claim against the party who caused your injuries. However, waiting to file a claim can work against you. Because of the short deadline you must observe, you must hire an attorney sooner than later.