If you’ve suffered an injury and it was not your fault, you might be thinking about making personal injury claims. Whether it’s a road traffic accident, a slip at work, or any other kind of injury where you weren’t to blame, you could be owed compensation. But how long do you have to do it?
How long is too long?
As an adult making a claim, you have roughly three years from the accident date to initiate your claim. This isn’t a hard and fast rule in all cases, but the exceptions have such complex criteria to meet that it’s worth keeping the three-year figure in mind. It’s also worth considering that you have three years to initiate your claim, not complete it. The claim may well run past the three-year date as it’s processed through the courts, but as long as you initiated the claim before the third anniversary of the accident, you should be fine.
As mentioned, in some cases, an extension will be allowed, but courts won’t entertain claims over three years old for most personal injury cases.
When should you claim?
The simple answer is as soon as possible. It makes sense to get your claim started as soon as it is viable. There are several reasons for this.
The first is that even with the best representation and the process running smoothly, claims can take a long time to process. There is a lot of paperwork and evidence required for a successful claim. Even when a claim is settled in a fairly short space of time, the actual funds can take some time to clear – so you want to get the ball rolling as soon as you’re able to.
That doesn’t take into account the extra time taken when a claim is contested. The party you’re claiming from is unlikely to admit liability if they can find a way not to, and arguing your respective cases can take a long time.
Another point to consider is that the fresher your evidence is, the better the chance of making a successful claim. It can be tough to find eyewitness testimony or other compelling supportive evidence for your case if years have passed since it happened. The sooner you get the process started, the easier it will be to gather the necessary information to support your claim.
Don’t wait to claim
Making personal injury claims can seem a daunting prospect, especially if you’re dealing with the mental and physical trauma resulting from an accident. But the sooner you begin the process, the better the chance of you making a successful claim and receiving the compensation you deserve. Finding the liable party, gathering evidence, and submitting your claim all takes time – the sooner you get started, the better.
If you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, don’t wait so long that you’re not able to claim the compensation you deserve. Seek the representation of an experienced personal injury claims solicitor and submit your case as soon as possible.
