When you have suffered an injury after being involved in an accident that was caused by the negligent actions of another, you will have the opportunity to pursue a personal injury claim. The world of tort law can be quite complicated, however, and the last thing you need to be dealing with after enduring a serious injury is complex legal jargon and laws that don’t seem to make any sense.
That’s why we have outlined some of the most important injury laws you need to be aware of in Wisconsin. This way, you’ll be prepared when you have questions about your upcoming personal injury lawsuit.
First and foremost, most cases have a statute of limitations on how long you’ll be able to pursue a lawsuit against the person responsible for causing you harm. In Wisconsin, when you are filing a personal injury claim, you will have only three years from the date of the accident or the date you are diagnosed with injuries that stem from the accident you were involved in.
For example, if you suffered third-degree burns in a motor vehicle accident, you would have three years from the date of the accident occurring, but if you were involved in the same motor vehicle accident and were diagnosed with whiplash a week later, the statute of limitations would begin running from the date of your diagnosis.
Failure to bring your case forward within the statute of limitations will mean you cannot file your claim for compensation.
Wisconsin uses comparative negligence to determine fault in personal injury cases. This is will be critical to your claim if you are partially responsible for causing the accident you were injured in. Essentially, comparative negligence allows accident victims to pursue damages even if they were partially at fault.
However, your award will be reduced by the percentage of the blame you hold. For example, if you were awarded a sum of $100,000 but found to be 30 percent responsible for your injuries, your award would be reduced by 30 percent, and you would actually be awarded $70,000.
If you have been injured in an accident of any kind, a qualified personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Gary S. Greenberg can help you hold the at-fault party accountable and obtain the compensation you deserve. You can find us online or give our office a call at 414-271-7007 to schedule your free claim review today.
