If a person is injured in a truck accident, they may have the right to file a personal injury claim. Georgia law states that the injured person has up to two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit for their injuries.
A truck accident attorney who specializes in personal injury law can weigh in on whether there are any exceptions to the rule that might cause the statute of limitations to be extended or reduced.
Georgia’s two-year statute of limitation for personal injury cases is not unusual. Nearly half of U.S. states have a two-year limitation in place for truck accident injuries. Other states have deadlines that range from one to six years.
If a person is fatally injured in a truck accident, the same two-year limitation generally applies to a wrongful death claim.
Why It’s Better to File a Claim Sooner Rather Than Later
After a harrowing accident with a semi-truck or large commercial vehicle, your focus will likely be on recovering and getting better. However, medical bills for your ambulance ride, emergency room visit, hospital stay, or follow-up care have run up to thousands of dollars. You may even be losing paychecks because you are unable to work.
You have a great deal to worry about. The insurance for the trucking company may be pressuring you to give a recorded statement and settle immediately.
Quickly pursuing a personal injury case against the negligent truck driver and their company is beneficial in several ways:
- A personal injury claim allows you to recover financially for all injury-related expenses, including your medical bills and lost wages.
- Evidence and witness memories are fresh. It’s easier to collect documentation and do interviews soon after the accident happened.
- The insurance company will most likely take your claim more seriously. Waiting until the last minute to file a personal injury claim will significantly reduce your chances of winning your case.
- An investigation could find that the truck driver not only acted negligently but in such a way that criminal charges are required, or that the trucking company was involved in negligent practices that led to poor maintenance and training. Evidence can be destroyed by the truck driver and the trucking company if you do not act in a timely fashion to have them secure these documents and data.
By spending some time focused on your personal injury claim, you can get your life back on track and save your future self from unjust amounts of debt and suffering.
Truck Accident Injuries Are Often More Severe
Large trucks like semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, construction vehicles, delivery trucks, and others weigh tons more passenger cars and motorcycles. Being bigger and heavier makes these large vehicles inherently more dangerous.
Severe injuries that often arise out of large truck accidents include:
- Crush injuries and amputations
- Broken bones
- Back and neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Internal injuries
- Scrapes and lacerations
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Scarring and disfigurement
Sometimes injuries are so severe that the victim dies in the crash or later on.
Compensation for Truck Accident Injuries
The sooner you file a personal injury claim after a severe truck accident, the sooner you may receive compensation for your injuries. Personal injury compensation covers the following costs and expenses:
- All medical treatment
- Rehabilitation
- Mental health care
- Lost wages
- Long-term disability
- Pain and suffering
You deserve to be compensated for an accident that wasn’t your fault, leaving you with injuries that may affect you for the rest of your life. You owe it to yourself to get the justice you need to make a full recovery.
Georgia Truck Accident Lawyer
Once the two-year statute of limitations for your truck accident is up, you will not be able to pursue a lawsuit. Your personal injury claim will be barred forever.
That is why you should speak with a truck accident attorney as soon as possible.
You may not know all of your losses yet. Or you are still undergoing medical treatment for your injuries. Personal injury lawyers know how to calculate future costs and can save you time and energy in trying to keep track of everything yourself.
Georgia semi-truck accident investigations take a significant amount of time to research. Hiring a lawyer to represent you means they can act fast to investigate and resolve your case.
If you have been seriously injured in a truck accident in Georgia, contact Gary Martin Hays & Associates at (770) 934-8000. Our attorneys know how to handle large truck accidents and get injured victims the compensation they need to find peace and move on with their life.
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