Are you suffering from a serious injury caused by another person’s negligence? Then you are eligible to make a personal injury claim.
If this is your first time filing this claim, you may be easily swayed by the many misconceptions surrounding this legal step. Worse, these myths might even keep you from filing a claim against the party that caused your injury.
In this article, we will discuss some of the most common myths about personal injury claims so you can file for a personal injury compensation without qualms.
It takes several years to finalize a personal injury claim
While it is true that some cases take years to settle, that is not always the case. Depending on the complexity of your case, you may have to wait for either a few months or at least a year to get compensation for your personal injury. If your case is easy, then you will not have to wait for years to get compensation. Keep in mind that since there is no single timeframe for how long processing personal injury claims take, you cannot expect your claim to resolve within 10 months just because someone you know made a successful claim within 10 months. However, it would greatly help if you have personal injury lawyers to guide you in every step of the way. With a lawyer by your side, you are more likely to have a successful claim within a reasonable amount of time.
Personal injury compensation is easy money
Depending on your injury, your personal injury claim may cover all your medical costs, your lost wages, and may even compensate for your physical and psychological suffering as a result of the accident. But while you may be eligible to receive all of these, that does not mean that personal injury claims are easy money. In fact, most of the compensation you get from filing this claim are costs that you have already shelled out, making them more like reimbursements. And not only that—reaching a settlement does not come easy. Aside from it could take several months of negotiations, there is no assurance that you will be compensated as much as you expect since this will still depend on your case.
You may wait for months before you file a personal injury claim
While some victims of personal injury wait until they recover before they file their personal injury claims, it is not advisable to wait when it comes to making a claim. This is because there is a limit for until when you can file before you cannot make a claim anymore. While this is different for every state, the statute of limitations usually starts on the day of the accident during which the injury was sustained. In most areas, you are only allowed up to two years to file a personal injury claim. There are situations where the personal injury victim is allowed to file a suit for an extended timeframe, but such cases are very rare.
You are guaranteed compensation if you are the plaintiff
While it is convenient to think that the victim always gets the long end of the stick when it comes to personal injury claims, in reality, that is not always the case. Remember, every case is unique and is judged based on its own characteristics. That means just because you are the victim of an accident does not mean that the case will resolve in your favor. In fact, a lot of individuals injured due to another person’s negligence end up not receiving a single centavo. When it comes to making a personal injury claim, the sad reality is that sometimes, proving that you are a legitimate victim is not enough to get compensation. Even if you sustained your injury due to another person’s negligence, you can never be sure that you will win your case.
You don’t need a personal injury lawyer if your injuries are minor
Whether you have just broken an ankle or have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, you need a lawyer when you file a personal injury claim against the party at fault. You’ll never know—an injury that does not seem like much today may become worse down the road. No matter how minor you think your injuries are, you still need to go to the hospital to undergo tests and X-rays. With a lawyer by your side, you can get compensation for the thousands of dollars in medical expenses that you need to get treated.