A personal injury can have a huge impact on your quality of life and your financial wellbeing. Even if the injury was only an accident, you may have the right to make a claim for compensation. Compensation is designed to help to make it easier for you and your family to cope with the effects of a personal injury. A claim should also cover any out of pocket expenses that you have been forced to shoulder as a result of the injury. Before you make a claim, it is worth remembering that there are some time limitations on launching an action.
Normal Time Limits
There are standard time limits on making a personal injuries claim in the United Kingdom. These time limitations can differ slightly, depending on what type of cases is being raised. However, the standard time limit is three years after the date of the accident in cases which are being raised as a normal personal injuries claim. For the claim to be considered, court proceedings must have been launched within this time frame. It is possible for the case to run on after the end of the initial three year period, as long as the proceedings had been formally launched before the cut off point. The government in the United Kingdom believes that this is a fair amount of time for both the defendant and the potential claimant. It is not normally possible to launch a new claim after this period of time has elapsed; unless it can be shown that there are special circumstances.
Special Circumstances
In some cases, it may be possible for a legal professional to apply to the courts to allow them to raise a case after the standard time limit period has elapsed. The most likely reason for the courts to grant an extension to the statute of limitations is when a problem arising from the initial incident takes longer than this to manifest itself. In these instances, legal teams have to work harder than normal to prove that the medical outcome occurred as a consequence of the initial incident. Although it is harder, there are thousands of examples of successful cases which were launched after the official statute of limitations had expired.
Sooner Rather than Later
In general, lawyers and claims advisors will always encourage potential claimants to start their proceedings sooner rather than later. This is because it is much easier to gather all of the evidence that is need when a claim is made closer to the time of the incident. There is a lower chance that vital evidence will have been destroyed and witnesses are able to give more reliable testament about the event in question.
It is also beneficial to the accident victim to start proceedings as soon as possible. Those who suffer personal injuries are most vulnerable just after the incident. It is during this period that they are forced to make any changes to their home and lifestyle to try to accommodate their new medical conditions. Personal injury victims are also more likely to suffer financial trouble during this period, because they may not be able to achieve their full earning potential. Launching a claim at this point in time can help accident victims to get access to the support that they need.
Launching a Claim for Compensation
If you have been received a personal injury in the last three years because of an accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. The first thing that you should do is to make contact with a qualified solicitor or claims advisor. Many claims advisors will offer free consultation sessions.
During your introductory session, the claims advisor or lawyer will listen to your story until they have enough information to advise you about whether or not you have a valid claim. If they determine that your claim is valid, then they will be able to tell you how much your claim is worth. It is then down to you to decide whether you want to continue to pursue your claim for compensation. If you decide to continue with the case, your advisor will help you to get the ball rolling.