Why You Shouldn’t Delay Contacting A Personal Injury Lawyer

Whenever you sustain injuries in an accident caused by someone else, you need to know your options, especially if you plan on filing a claim for damages. However, delays in contacting a personal injury lawyer could seriously jeopardize your rights to any compensation that you are entitled to. Whether a delay results from procrastinating or the seriousness of your injuries, you have a limited amount of time to file your claim.

Ontario Personal Injury Law – Statute of Limitations

The deadline for filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit, and be compensated for your injuries, is commonly called a “Statute of Limitations.” If it expires before you file a claim or lawsuit, you will most likely lose your right to compensation. In some cases, this can be extended. But, if you want to ensure that the Statute of Limitations doesn’t expire before you’ve had a chance to file your claim, you should contact a personal injury lawyer in Waterloo immediately after an accident. Not only will they guide you on the process of filing a claim but will represent your interests with the insurance company. It has been seen that when a lawyer represents your claim, you tend to get a higher amount as compensation as the insurance companies tries to lowball the naïve injury victims.

Justification

By law you are entitled to receive compensation but there are some rules under which you may not be eligible. However, stripping away the right to compensation for an individual who was seriously injured in an accident caused by another person’s careless or negligent behavior may sound unfair. However, having a Statute of Limitations for filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit is justifiable for the following reasons:

• The at-fault party (defendant) may not have an opportunity to properly investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident if they are unaware of the injured party’s (plaintiff’s) intention of filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit.

• Over time, a person’s memories of what happened can fade. As a result, they could forget important details or facts about the accident.

• Evidence oftentimes gets lost and witnesses may no longer be available if they have relocated to another area or state.

Basically, the injured party is the one who controls the filing of a claim or lawsuit. So, it makes sense that imposing a specified time limit would effectively encourage a person to file their claim or lawsuit in a timely manner. For more information about the Statute of Limitations in Ontario Provincial Law and the importance of getting legal advice when you’ve been injured in an accident, talk to a personal injury lawyer today.