No one leaves home looking for an accident. Unfortunately, thousands of car accidents happen every day. If you are involved in a car accident that was not your fault, Louisiana negligence laws allow you to hold the liable party financially responsible for the resulting damages.
The moments following a car can leave you confused and severely traumatized. You are trying to figure out your injuries and damage to property. There is traffic to guide past the accident scene too before the police arrives. All these can be understandably overwhelming. That said, here are two crucial mistakes you do not want to make if you are involved in a car accident.
Taking too long to sue for damages
Most legal matters have time frames within which plaintiffs can pursue the liable parties for damages. These time frames are known as the statutes of limitations. In Louisiana, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is one year. Once the one year period runs out, you will lose your right to file a claim.
Overlooking the extent of your injuries
From minor bruises to catastrophic injuries, a car wreck can leave you with a range of injuries. While some, like cuts and bruises may be clearly visible, others like internal bleeding will require specialized medical attention to detect. Additionally, most internal injuries take days to manifest. Trying to toughen out your injuries or simply assuming that you are okay can turn out to be a deadly mistake. Underestimating your injuries can pose two problems:
Your injuries may develop into serious complications and put your life at risk
You will not obtain a medical report that is crucial for litigating your case
Be sure to seek treatment as soon as you can following the accident. The last thing you want is to develop complications and prolong your recovery time or, worse still, succumb to injuries that would have otherwise been detected and treated in time.
If you are involved in an accident that is attributable to someone else’s negligent actions, it is in your best interest that you avoid mistakes that can hurt your claim.
