When is it too late to get a lawyer for a car accident? It is too late to hire a lawyer for a car accident if the statute of limitations has passed, which is typically two years.
A Houston car accident lawyer needs enough time to investigate, prepare, and file your injury claim before the deadline.
The Success of Your Claim May Depend on How Early an Attorney Can Be Involved
Evidence has a tendency to disappear over time. People may struggle to recall details about the accident clearly, and a lawyer may lose access to valuable photos and videos.
In addition, roads, vehicles, missing signs, and other contributing factors may change. The longer you wait to get a lawyer, the less time they have to gather evidence and build a strong case.
The limitation for personal actions is two years from the date of your accident. Involving an experienced attorney as soon as possible will allow them to parse through the details carefully
If you can get out ahead of the two-year statute of limitations, we will have a better chance of building a successful case for you. By not waiting almost two years to get a lawyer for a car accident, we can properly file the paperwork for your claim with confidence in the evidence we have. Rushing the process could lead to mistakes.
When you do not wait until it is too late, we can more easily take on the hard work inside the legal system while you focus on recovering from your injuries. If you are not sure where to start, consider 4 questions to ask your personal injury lawyer when you or a loved one calls. It will be too late, however, if you wait nearly two years to contact us.
You Have Two Years Before it is Too Late to Get a Lawyer for a Car Accident
You have two years from your accident to get a lawyer and file a claim before it becomes invalid. If the claim involves a wrongful death, the same two-year time span applies. There are exceptions, but they do not apply to car accidents.
There is a significant amount of clerical work involved in filing a claim. It will be too late to get a lawyer for a car accident if there is not enough time to complete the paperwork. A car accident lawyer in Houston can help make this stage easier for you and assist you in working diligently to meet the deadline.
Good lawyers need time to ensure that things are done correctly from the start. The success of your case could depend on your lawyer’s ability to lay a good foundation. Rushing the process may really inhibit the path to a good settlement for you.
How a Car Accident Compares to Other Kinds of Accidents
Keeping a good sense of time may hinge upon knowing the 5 things to do after your car accident. Those steps are usually good starting points for other kinds of accidents as well. Having perspective on what you could have faced in a different kind of accident may shed light on why not waiting is a good course of action.
Car or Truck Accident
Truck accidents often involve the added complication of suing both the truck driver and the trucking company. This can become its own entire process, requiring significantly more legal work.
Suddenly, the two–year limit feels much shorter, considering the possibility of filing paperwork for two defendants, not just one driver.
Fatal Accident
Texas does not explicitly give any additional time to file a claim in a wrongful death accident. You have just two years from the date that your loved one died to file.
This could give you a little bit of extra time if the deceased died some time after the accident, but waiting for developments like that still eats away at your window of opportunity.
Government Vehicle Accident
If the other vehicle in your accident is owned and operated by the government, you need to pay attention to the details of filing these claims in time.
Government accidents still follow the two-year statute of limitations, but they also come with a six-month notice requirement. Your attorney is aware of this, but it means you must act even more quickly to hire one and file.
Ways to Ensure You Do Not Wait Too Long to Get a Lawyer After an Accident
Accidents can be devastating, and taking action right away may not be your top priority for a while. Taking certain steps can help you make the most of the available time, so you don’t have to worry about whether it becomes too late to hire an attorney after a car accident.
Keep these steps in mind after your car accident.
- Call 911
- Gather evidence with whatever you can, like pictures and videos with your phone
- Make sure you and the other driver have exchanged information
- Tell law enforcement what happened from your point of view
- Get a car accident lawyer working on your case
Everything becomes much easier when your quick, informed action starts laying the groundwork for us to build upon. You can take advantage of the two-year statute of limitations for filing a claim after an accident by accomplishing what you need well before then.
This lets the two-year mark pass right by without any of us worrying about it.
Call Lowe Law Today to Get a Lawyer for a Car Accident
Simply by contacting us, your claim will not be instantly filed. We will need to discuss several details with you so that we have all the necessary information to file proper claims and compile solid evidence.
It will be too late to get a lawyer for a car accident if we cannot complete the necessary filing work in time to meet the two-year statute of limitations. Contact Lowe Law to get your case started.
