You’re not really that hurt, or so you think, things aren’t that bad, you will just figure it out. But if you woke up the next day with increased pain, able to perceive just how far the injuries actually went, then you started to worry. Has your window passed? Is it too late to get the help you need after the traumatic experience you went through? Declining Immediate Help First, you have more time to follow up on an accident or incident than you think. And even if you declined medical help at the time, or said that you weren’t hurt, that doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Very often, it is impossible for victims to truly know whether or not they are hurt until several hours, days, or even weeks later. In the adrenaline-pumped moment, you chalked your physical state up to stress and shock, also normal accompaniments to an accident or traumatic event. This initial assessment doesn’t have to count against you. Even in emergency rooms, after treatment, the patient will be sent home with instructions on what to look for if the problem worsens, because your body does not always show the extent of its injuries until later on. Or, perhaps you received treatment for an injury to your leg or arm, then later on you realize how much pain your neck and shoulders are in. In this case, the more pressing hurt could have easily overshadowed a longer-lasting injury, also a likely scenario to support filing a personal injury claim later on. The Time Limit There is, however, a statute of limitations for filing injury claims, which is different for each state. For instance, while Arizona’s limit is generally set at 2 years, Maine gives you up to 6 years to file a claim. Sometimes this clock starts on the date of the injury; other times the statute of limitations can begin counting from the date of discovery, or whenever you began to notice your injuries. Also, if you were injured by a government agency a different statute of limitations will apply for first filing a notice of claims. Filing your claim within this time frame does not give you any guarantees, but it does show just how long you could–legally–have waited and still have a claim that is considered viable. The best way to truly know if your personal injury claim is still possible or not, speak to a personal injury attorney with extensive experience and knowledge of the specifics of the law. But don’t assume that it is too late to be compensated for your injury just because some time has passed, share the details of your story with an expert. /accident-and-injury-law/workplace-liability]]>
