Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Case
Riah Greathouse, Esq. · February 10, 2022After an injury or loss of a loved one, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit. It’s essential to file this lawsuit as soon as you can due to the statute of limitations. Read on to learn more about the statute of limitations and Greathouse Trial Law’s recommendations on filing a lawsuit.
What is a statute of limitations?
After an accident, you only have a certain amount of time to file a lawsuit. This is called a statute of limitations, and it’s meant to ensure that evidence doesn’t deteriorate before a conviction. It’s critical to quickly file your lawsuit to prevent evidence deterioration.
The statute can vary depending on your type of claim and how the court chooses to interpret the law. Some defamation/libel cases may have a longer time before expiration, while personal injury cases tend to be stricter.
In Georgia, the statute of limitations is two years for civil cases like car accidents, wrongful death, and other personal injury claims. This means that you must file your claim with the court within two years of the accident.
What happens after the statute of limitations has expired?
After the statute of limitations has expired, the case is void. This means that your case would be dismissed and you wouldn’t get the compensation that you deserve. However, there are some exceptions to the statute of limitations.
Depending on your lawsuit, you may be able to pursue your case after the statute of limitations has expired. For example, if you didn’t know about your injuries until much later, then the statute would expire two years after you became aware of the injury.
The statute of limitations may also be extended if the defendant is a minor, mentally ill, disabled, or insane, or if the defendant left the state after the incident. There may be exceptions to this rule, so it’s essential to talk with your lawyer before pursuing any extensions.
How to quickly file a lawsuit
While you have two years to file a lawsuit in Georgia, it’s critical to do it as soon as possible. When you file your lawsuit quickly, you avoid your evidence deteriorating and avoid the statute of limitations expiring.
In order to quickly file a lawsuit, you’ll need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you through the process. Make sure that your attorney is well-qualified, especially when filing personal injury lawsuits.
Speak to an Attorney
If you’ve been injured and you’re ready to file a lawsuit, calling an attorney is the best way to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. Figuring out how to proceed with your case can be difficult, and an experienced personal injury attorney can help you understand your case and how the process works. Here at Greathouse Trial Law, we want to help you understand your rights.
Contact us today at (678) 310-2827 or complete our online form for your free case evaluation. We aim to serve Atlanta’s great people and give a voice to the voiceless.
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