phone Call

How Soon After a Car Accident Should I File a Personal Injury Claim?

After a car accident occurs in which you suffer property damage or injuries, you have only a certain period of time during which you can file a personal injury lawsuit against any parties who are responsible for causing the accident. Prior to that filing deadline, it is common for the other party’s insurance company to offer you a settlement amount or attempt to negotiate a resolution of the case. If you are able to reach a settlement, then you will have no need to file a personal injury lawsuit.

In many cases, however, the settlement that the insurance company offers you is simply insufficient to cover the injuries or damages that you have sustained in the accident. You shouldn’t be tempted to take the first settlement amount that the insurance company offers you, since it is likely to be much lower than the amount of compensation that you really should receive.

If settlement negotiations fail, then your only option for getting compensation from the responsible party is to file a personal injury lawsuit. In the state of Wisconsin, you generally have three years from the date of the accident in which to file the lawsuit. You can file a lawsuit at any time during that period, but you will not be able to file your lawsuit after the three years has expired. This is called a statute of limitations. If you fail to file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires, then you lose your ability to file the lawsuit at all, which means that you get no compensation for your losses.

Whether your injuries result from a drugged driving crash, drunk driving accident, or an incident caused by another type of wrongful behavior by another driver, the Madison personal injury lawyers of Boller & Vaughan are here to help you get through the often complex process of filing a personal injury accident. We will determine there are any personal injury claims that may be available to you, and help you choose the best course of action for you and your family to get compensation for your losses as quickly as possible. Call our office today and get a better understanding about how our attorneys can help ensure that you obtain the maximum compensation that is possible in your case.