The Statute of Limitations and Personal Injury Claims in Texas
If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your physical, financial, and emotional damages, but there is a time limit involved. In the State of Texas, you have two years from the date of the incident that leaves you injured to file a personal injury case. This legal time limitation is known as a statute of limitations, and it will play an important role in your case moving forward.
Your Injuries
You have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, and your focus is naturally on regaining your health and well-being. This important task can be all-consuming and is likely to take a considerable amount of time. While two years may sound like ample time to take care of your personal injury case, many people find that it slips away before they fully address the matter. As such, they forfeit the ability to obtain just compensation for their full range of damages.
Your Insurance Claim
If someone else’s negligence leaves you injured, you will very likely file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. It is important to keep in mind, however, that the insurance company is motivated by profits and by keeping its settlement offers as low as possible, which means that obtaining the compensation to which you are entitled is likely to be an uphill battle. In fact, the insurance company has many money-saving tools at its disposal, including:
Offering an early settlement offer that does not begin to cover all of your damages but that you are tempted to take out of desperation
Making the claims process so cumbersome and convoluted that you give up in frustration
Delaying the claims process to the point that you no longer have the opportunity to file a personal injury case
Working with an experienced personal injury attorney from the outset will help ensure that your legal rights are protected throughout, including your right to file a personal injury case if warranted.
The Two-Year Statute of Limitations
Your dedicated personal injury attorney will negotiate with the insurance company for a settlement that addresses your damages in their entirety, while keeping the two-year statute of limitations (and other important legal parameters) at the forefront. Failure to bring your lawsuit within the two-year timeframe can nullify your right to file your case, which can leave you without the compensation you need to make your most complete recovery – regardless of the validity of your claim.
Reach out to an Experienced Killeen Personal Injury Attorney Today
Personal injury claims can become very complicated very quickly, and you are unlikely to obtain just compensation without professional legal guidance on your side. Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Killeen, Texas, is an accomplished personal injury attorney who takes great pride in using his considerable legal insight to successfully guide cases like yours toward favorable resolutions. We are on your side, so please do not hesitate to contact or call us at 254-501-4040 for more information today.