Filing a personal injury lawsuit after you’ve been injured shows the liable party that you mean business, and that you’ll do everything possible to ensure they compensate you for the suffering they have inflicted on your life.
With that being said, a lot goes into the pursuit of compensation through an injury claim, and there are many laws you’ll need to be aware of as you embark on this journey. Arguably the most important aspect—and a great place to start your research on Louisiana personal injury laws—is the statute of limitations. Below, we go into further detail about what the statute of limitations is, how it works, and what happens if you don’t make the deadline.
The Louisiana statute of limitations was designed to put a limit on the amount of time an injury victim has to file a personal injury lawsuit in the Louisiana civil court system. This time limit was designed to expedite the claims process and prevent those who may be taking advantage of the system from continuing to do so.
If you are someone who has been seriously injured in an accident, you must file your claim within the statute of limitations. For Louisiana, this means all personal injury lawsuits must be filed within one year of the date of the accident that caused the injury.
However, it is possible that the statute of limitations could be extended to start from the date you were diagnosed with an injury that stemmed from the accident if you did not get medical treatment until a later date.
Although one year may seem like more than enough time to file your claim, this time can go by rather quickly when trying to build a powerful lawsuit, so you should act quickly if you plan to sue for your economic and non-economic damages.
Now that you have a better idea of what the statute of limitations is in Louisiana and how long you have to file a claim, you may be wondering what will happen if the statute of limitations expires, and your lawsuit still hasn’t been filed.
Unfortunately, this would be a worst-case scenario, as any claims filed after the statute of limitations has run out will more than likely be dismissed by the judge. This will result in a lost opportunity to bring the at-fault party to justice and secure maximum compensation for all you have been through.
The stakes are high when it comes to the statute of limitations, but your attorney will ensure that your lawsuit is filed well within this limit, so you won’t have to worry about keeping track of this particular deadline.
Getting your lawsuit filed before time runs out is critical to your potential claim. An experienced New Orleans personal injury lawyer at the Law Office of Braud & Gallagher can ensure your case is handled with great care.
We proudly provide injury victims across the state with complimentary case evaluations. To schedule your free, no-obligation consultation, just give our office a call at 1-800-256-5674 or visit our website.
