In Louisiana, time is of the essence following a personal injury claim. It is why you need to act fast when pursuing compensation for damages suffered. As soon as you are involved in an accident or get injured by another person’s negligence, you should set things in motion and kickstart the insurance conversation.
You have a specified window to initiate legal proceedings against the party at fault. This is called a statute of limitations. Once that time limit has passed, your ability to obtain any compensation for your losses vanishes. Here is what you need to know:
You get exactly one year to file a lawsuit
Louisiana is somewhat unique. Most states give personal injury victims two years to file a personal injury lawsuit – and some even give them three – but residents of this state only get one year in which to act.
For many injury victims, that tight time schedule can be hard to handle. If your injuries are serious, you may barely know how well you’re going to recover at the end of a year’s time. Unfortunately, you still have to start the negotiation process with the insurance company early and file the appropriate paperwork for a lawsuit within that limited window of opportunity.
It’s important to note, however, that filing a lawsuit doesn’t necessarily mean your case will end up in court. Often, the discovery process that happens between the time a lawsuit is filed and an actual hearing is illuminating, and both parties will eventually agree to settle out of court.
When your entire world has been disrupted due to a serious injury, don’t let yourself be victimized twice by failing to act as quickly as possible. Experienced legal guidance can help you maximize your claim and get the compensation you need so that you and your family can heal.
