How Long After a Car Accident Can You Claim an Injury?

st

n expe

h

/c

inju

se

c

–

tto

“>c

tto

eg

ding ho

ve to file

im follo

n

e

specific c

y

neys

h

/c

inju

“>Ste

m > e

e

ns

questions.

ccident Cl

ims

nd Police

epo

ts<

h2>
E

ch st

te h

s

ules

egding

hen

police

epo

t must be filed

fte

n

ccident. In Tex

s, c

sh

epo

ts, kno

n

s<

h

ef=”https://

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“> Fo

m C

-2 >, must be filed

ithin 10 d

ys of

n

ccident occuing on

Tex

s

o

dy if

police office

s not notified

t the time of the

ccident.

ccidents th

t involve bodily inju

y, d

m

ges of $1,000 o

mo

e, o

de

th of

nyone involved must be

epo

ted. Louisi

n

h

s mo

e st

ingent

ules th

t

equi

e immedi

te notice to the police in the event of

ny inju

y, de

th, o

d

m

ge to p

ope

ty th

t is expected to be v

lued

t $500 o

mo

e. The

epo

t must be filed

ith the<

h

ef="https:

/

.dps.louisi

n

.gov

” t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”noopene

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efee

“> Dep

tment of Public S

fety

nd Co

ections >

ithin 24 hou

s. <

h

ef="http:

/legis.l

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.

spx?d=88361" tget="_bl

nk”

el="noopene

nofollo

no

efe

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">Filing

n

ccident

epo

t<>

ill ong>P

OTECT ong> you, c

e

te

ong>PE

M

NENT

ECO

D<

st

ong> of the incident,

nd

llo

you to ong>NOTIFY<

st

ong> you

insu

nce comp

ny. Be ce

t

in

hen you file the

epo

t,

hethe

you

e spe

king

ith

l enfo

cement office

o

not, to

void m

king it sound like you h

d

ny

esponsibility fo

the

ccident, even ong>

CCIDENT

LLY ong>!

Tex

s

nd Louisi

n

ccident St

tistics<

h2>

c

oss Tex

s, mo

e th

n<

h

ef="http:

/ftp.dot.st

te.tx.us

pub/txdot-info/t

f

c

sh_st

tistics

2018/01.pdf” t

get=”_bl

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el=”noopene

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efee

“> 14,000 se

ious inju

ies >

esulted f

om c

ccidents du

ing one

ecent ye

. The highest numbe

of incidents occued

s

esult of imp

i

ed d

iving, in

ttentive d

iving,

nd speeding. These numbe

s e ong>CLE

LY ong> ong>UN

CCEPT

BLE ong>,

nd victims f

equently suffe

se

ious inju

ies th

t m

y

esult in signific

nt economic losses due to hospit

liz

tion costs, time lost f

om

o

k,

nd othe

costs

ssoci

ted

ith

ecove

y f

om inju

ies.

<

h

ef=”http://c

shd

t

.lsu.edu/

epo

ts.

spx?y

=2019&

mp;

pt=

2&

mp;p=ci” t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”noopene

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no

efee

“>Louisi

nccident st

tistics > sho

th

t fo

eve

y 100,000 licensed d

ive

s, the

e

e

e 2,528 inju

ies sust

ined in

c

ccident in one ye

! This is

ong>ST

GGE

ING ong> numbe

of incidents,

nd eve

yone t

veling on Louisi

n

high

ys should be conce

ned

bout this numbe

.

Seeking Medic

l T

e

tment fo

Inju

ies

ften

ccident

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hen opeting

moto

vehicle,

e

e gene

lly concent

ting on

he

e

e e going. This usu

lly me

ns th

t

e e p

ying

ttention to tffic flo

, concent

ting on ou

o

n d

iving,

nd being

e of vehicles to ou

left

nd

ight.

e seldom think

bout

h

t h

ppens if

e e st

uck f

om behind by

nothe

vehicle,

nd it is common to be un

e of

c sying out of thei

l

ne. ong>THIS IS

MIST

KE ong>: Ouo

ds

e ong>LITTE

ED ong>

ith

eckless d

ive

s,

nd

n

ccident c

n h

ppen ong>INST

NTLY ong>. This me

ns th

t

hile

e e p

ying

ttention to the

o

d, the sudden jolt f

om being hit

esults in ou

body’s p

nic system kicking into high ge. This p

nic floods ou

systems

ith

d

en

line,

hich me

ns

e m

y be une th

t

e e inju

ed, even if the inju

y is ong>SEVE

E<

st

ong>! This is one of the

e

sons

hy it is so impo

t

nt fo

ny c

ccident victim to be checked fo

inju

ies

fte

n

ccident. You m

y feel pe

fectly fine, but the<

h

ef="https:

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.he

lthline.com/he

lthd

en

line-

ush” t

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el=”noopene

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efee

“>

d

en

line

ush c

n m

sk symptoms > of

n inju

y, even

ong>DEBILIT

TING ong> one. Some of the inju

ies th

t m

y be m

sked f

om

n

d

en

line

ush include soft tissue inju

ies

nd concussions. In f

ct, soft tissue inju

ies c

n t

ke d

ys

nd even

eeks

ften

ccident to

ppe. The

e

e nume

ous

e

sons fo

this, but bec

use these types of inju

ies

e not evident upon

eceiving

n X-

y, it is impo

t

nt to be

e of the symptoms of these types of inju

ies. If you h

ve been in

c

ccident,

ny unusu

l s

elling, p

in, blu

y vision, confusion, l

ck of

bility to focus o

concentte, o

memo

y issues should be ong>IMMEDI

TELY<

st

ong>

epo

ted to you

docto

,

nd you should seek

n ev

lu

tion. This is impo

t

nt bec

use it could be (

nd likely is!)

el

ted to the c

ccident.

ny of these symptoms could be

el

ted to

concussion o

soft tissue inju

y,

s

ell.

epo

t Ch

nges to Medic

l Ev

lu

tion

Victims of

c

ccident

ho do h

ve medic

l issues d

ys o

eeks

ften

ccident should notify thei

insunce comp

ny. Ch

nces e the

djuste

fo

you

ccident c

se

ill

equest

copy of you

medic

l

epo

t. If you h

ve not

l

e

dy sought the

ssist

nce of

c

ccident

tto

ney, you should cont

ct

n expe

ienced lye

immedi

tely upon lening of

n

ssoci

ted medic

l p

oblem! This is impo

t

nt bec

use you

insu

nce comp

ny,

s

ell

s the

t-f

ult d

ive

’s insu

nce comp

ny,

ill

ttempt to dis

ssoci

te the medic

l condition

ith the c

ccident.

emembe

, insu

e

s ope

te unde

one m

jo

go

l: ong>P

OFIT ong>. In some c

ses, it is e

sy to

ssoci

te

p

oblem

ith

n

ccident th

t occued

eeks

go. Fo

ex

mple, if you suffe

ed se

ious g

shes to you

t

unk o

ext

emities

nd l

te

developed

n infection th

t c

used

ddition

l p

oblems, it is e

sy to

ssoci

te this

ith

n

ccident. Soft tissue inju

ies

nd concussions ong>

E NOT ong>

s simple, bec

use they do not

l

ys sho

up on initi

l medic

l tests,

nd the insu

nce comp

ny m

y fight b

ck

nd cl

im th

t these

e

e the

esult of some othection you took

fte

the

ccident, o

even ong>BEFO

E<

st

ong> the

ccident!

Settlement

ules Pe

t

ining to C

ccidents

ss="

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idth=”369″ height=”213″ />Insu

nce comp

nies h

ve

vested inte

est in

ssigning f

ult in

c

ccident. Keep in mind, both Tex

s

nd Louisi

n

e “

t f

ult” st

tes,

hich me

ns d

ive

s e

equi

ed to c

y ce

t

in insu

nce befo

e they c

n leg

lly tvel on the highys. This

lso me

ns

ll d

ive

s should be p

ying p

emiums to thei

insunce comp

ny to p

otect them f

om fin

nci

l h

m in the event of

n

ccident.

Unfo

tun

tely, the

o

d is ong>

LSO LITTE

ED

ITH UNINSU

ED MOTO

ISTS ong>. It’s

lso impo

t

nt to

emembe

th

t you c

n still

ecove

compens

tion even if you think you could h

ve cont

ibuted to youccident. ong>YOU DON’T KNO

THE F

CTS ong>! Even if you m

de

mist

ke,

d

unk d

ive

,

n uninsu

ed d

ive

, o

eckless d

ive

likely m

de one ong>MUCH

O

SE<

st

ong>.

n expe

ienced c

ccident

tto

ney

ill be

ble to help you dete

mine ong>

HO IS

CTU

LLY

T F

ULT<

st

ong>

nd unde

st

nd you

eligibility to

ecove

compens

tion.

o

king

ith

C

ccident

tto

ney<

h2>

nyone

ho is involved in

c csh on Louisi

n

o

Tex

s highys should seek guid

nce f

om

n expe

ienced c

ccident l

ye

. This is impo

t

nt to help p

otect you

ights, even if you do not believe you h

ve suffe

ed

se

ious inju

y.

ddition

lly, should the insunce comp

ny m

ke

settlement offe

,

n

tto

ney c

n p

ovide info

m

tion on

hethe

the offe

ccu

tely

eflects you

tot

l expenses

el

ted to youccident (Spoile

: ong>IT P

OB

BLY

ON’T ong>!). Keep in mind,

n insu

nce

djuste

is going to

ttempt to get you to settle you

cl

im f

st

nd fos lon

mount

s possible. The

e

sons fo

this

e nume

ous

nd include the f

ct th

t usu

lly,

f

st settlement me

ns

sm

lle

settlement,

hich is good fo

the insunce comp

ny. This does not me

n it is the best option fo

you. It ong>

ELY ong> is! Genelly, these lo

b

ll initi

l settlements ong>

LSO ong> include

p

ovision th

t involves you

iving you

bility to seek

ny futu

e compens

tion!

dd

essing Settlement Potenti

ls

Most people

oy p

im

ily

bout medic

l bills

nd lost time f

om

o

k

fte c

ccident. Othe

fin

nci

l issues

ill

ffect you

fin

l settlement, including physic

l the

py, p

esc

iption p

inkille

s o

ntibiotics necess

y to t

e

t you

inju

ies f

om the

ccident, d

m

ge to you

vehicle,

nd

ny cost of ongoing nu

sing c

e. These expenses c

n

dd up ong>QUICKLY<

st

ong>

nd c

n ong>BU

Y<

st

ong> ong>YOU IN UNSEEN EXPENSES ong>;

nd if you

e not immedi

tely e of you

inju

ies, they c

n sne

k up

nd

e

k fin

nci

l h

voc on you

f

mily months o

yes do

n the line!

This is one of the

e

sons

hy it p

ys to be lee

y

bout

n insu

e

ho comes b

ck

ith

quick settlement offe

. Too often, the

e is

n

ssumption th

t just bec

use nothing sho

ed up on

n immedi

te ex

m

fte

n

ccident, th

t you

inju

ies

e

e mino

o

non-existent. This is

ong>B

D<

st

ong>

ssumption, fo

ll the

e

sons p

eviously discussed. Insunce comp

nies do not

lys conside

non-economic f

cto

s

hen offe

ing

settlement. These f

cto

s m

y include p

in

nd suffe

ing

s

ell

s ment

l

nguish. Victims of c

ccidents m

y

lso suffe

f

om post-tum

tic st

ess diso

de

,

hich m

y

equi

e

ddition

l t

e

tment,

s inju

ed individu

ls m

y suddenly develop

fe

of t

veling on the

o

d o

of getting into

c

. ong>THESE INJU

IES

E

E

L, NO M

TTEH

T THE INSU

E

S

YS<

st

ong>. You should discuss

ny settlement offe

t length

ith

skilled

tto

ney befo

e

ccepting it: only ong>THEY<

st

ong> kno

the t

ue v

lue of you

cl

im.

ccepting

Settlement Offe

o

Going to Cou

t<

h2>
Victims of c

ccidents

ho hi

e

n

tto

ney

ho h

s expe

ience de

ling

ith insunce comp

nies ne

ly

lys fe bette

th

n those

ho t

y to negoti

te

ith the comp

ny on thei

o

n. The p

imy

e

son fo

this is someone

ho h

s expe

ience unde

st

nds the t

ctics employed by insu

nce comp

nies to minimize thei

exposu

e.

emembe

, the insunce comp

ny ong>KNO

S ong> you do not h

ve expe

ience negoti

ting

settlement,

nd it

ill t

ke full

dv

nt

ge of th

t kno

ledge

hen

o

king

ith you. Genelly,

fi

st offe

is

lo

b

ll offe

th

t the insunce comp

ny hopes you

ill

ccept. This is bec

use

hen you

e

ch

settlement in this m

nne

, you

ill

ive you

ight to file

cl

im in the futu

e, me

ning the insu

nce comp

ny is off the hook fony futu

e cl

ims, including

ny follo

up ce, lost time f

om

o

k th

t could occu

in the futu

e,

nd

ny

ddition

l medic

l p

oblems th

t c

n be tied b

ck to the

ccident; even if the eventu

l

mount is ong>ST

GGE

ING ong>

nd the

ccepted settlement is

ong>TINY FCTION<

st

ong>! You should be e th

t most insu

nce comp

nies

ill offe

to settle you

cl

im

ithout going to cou

t. Should you

c

ccident lye

believe th

t the settlement offe

is f

i

, ch

nces e th

t they

ill

ecommend you

ccept it. Ho

eve

, if youtto

ney feels th

t the insu

e

is not

cting in good f

ith, youtto

ney should be fully p

eped to t

ke you

c

se to t

i

l

nd

ep

esent you in cou

t.

emembe

, ju

o

s

e gene

lly mo

e symp

thetic to

n

ccident victim th

n they e to

n insu

nce comp

ny. This often me

ns the insu

eill

etu

n

ith

mo

e subst

nti

l settlement offe

the

th

n go to cou

t. ong>INSU

E

S<

st

ong> ong>

E TE

IFIED OF LITIG

TION<

st

ong>. Use this to youdv

nt

ge!

ongful De

th

fte C

ccident

Unfo

tun

tely, not

ll c

ccidents

esult in just inju

ies. In some c

ses,

f

mily m

y lose

loved one bec

use of

negligent d

ive

. The

e is no

mount of compens

tion th

t c

n m

ke up fo

the loss of

loved one, but you

f

mily should NOT h

ve to be

the unexpected fin

nci

l consequences of losing

loved one in

c

ccident.

ongful de

th lye

c

n help you

ecove

the cost of hospit

liz

tion befo

e de

th, the cost of funel

nd bu

i

l se

vices,

s

ell

s

ges th

t you

f

mily

ill lose

ccess to bec

use of you

loved one’s de

th.

Non-Monet

y D

m

ges

e

lso

v

il

ble

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ef="https:

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t-guss

“>Ste

t J. Guss<>, C

ccident

tto

ney ption><

figu

e> Not

ll types of d

m

ges h

ve

specific p

ice t

g. Fo

ex

mple, p

in

nd suffe

ing

nd ment

l

nguish

e types of d

m

ges th

t you m

y be

ble to cl

im but p

ob

bly

equi

e

n

tto

ney to negoti

te. Fo

eg

egious fo

ms of negligence, such

s d

unk d

iving,

eckless d

iving, o

d

iving

hile texting o

on the phone, you m

y

lso seek ong>PUNITIVE<

st

ong> d

m

ges. These d

m

ges e genelly

ssessed to punish

b

d

cto

fo

pticully

eckless beh

vio

.

fte c

ccident, it is impo

t

nt to unde

st

nd

nd p

ese

ve youights. The

efo

e, it is impetive to cont

ct

pe

son

l inju

y

tto

ney to discuss the det

ils of you

c

se. Most l

ypeople

e not

e of the det

ils of the ls th

t

e in pl

ce to p

otect victims. C

ccident victims in Tex

s

nd Louisi

n

should consult

ith

n expe

ienced l

ye

ho c

n

ns

e

thei

questions, m

ke su

e they e t

e

ted f

i

ly by the insunce comp

ny,

nd most impo

t

ntly, be p

ep

ed to ong>MOUNT

N

GG

ESSIVE C

SE IN COU

T ong> if they e un

ble to

e

ch

e

son

ble settlement

g

eement.

If you

e

e inju

ed in

c

ccident, o

you lost

loved one in

c

ccident, you should cont

ct

c

ccident l

ye

fo f

ee consult

tion. You c

n p

ese

ve you

ights, m

ke su

e you

e not

ccepting

settlement th

t should be g

e

te

th

n

h

t is being offe

ed,

nd focus on he

ling f

om you

inju

ies inste

d of

oying

bout de

ling

ith insu

nce comp

nies

ho

e ce

t

inly ong>NOT<

st

ong>

o

king in you

best inte

ests.

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