You may be able to file a claim for personal injury as soon as 72 hours after the accident. This is because most car accidents result in injuries that occur within the first few hours after the accident.
If you’re unsure about when you can file a claim, contact your Chicago car accident lawyer. This lawyer can evaluate your situation and help you decide when to file a claim.
Compensation Claim Period under the Law
If you’re injured in a car accident, you may have many questions about when you can claim injury. The length of time you have to file a claim can depend on a number of factors, including the severity of your injuries.
You have around two years after the accident to file a personal injury claim. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, if the accident caused serious physical injuries, you may have less time to file a claim.
Claiming Insurance after the Accident
If you’ve been in a car accident and are seeking medical attention, you have 24 hours to call your insurance company and notify them of the incident. Be sure to take pictures of the accident scene and document any details you remember.
You should also file a claim for any injuries sustained in the accident within three days.
Your insurance company will contact you to discuss your losses and they’ll want to see your documentation. This information will help them determine how to proceed with your claim.
What Happens When You Delay
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may have to wait to file an injury claim after a car accident.
For example, if you receive an injury that doesn’t show up immediately, but instead a few days or weeks after the accident, the process for filing a claim and accessing compensation will be different than if you had visible injuries immediately following the accident.
This is because insurance companies will investigate to see how long ago the accident occurred in order to determine if your injuries are a direct result of the accident or not.
The longer you wait to file your insurance claim, the more of a burden it may be on your finances – especially if you’re stuck paying for medical bills with no help from insurance.
If the liable party for the accident is still undetermined, it’s best to file a claim as soon as possible to increase the chance that the insurance company will be able to help you out.
If the other party files against you and you have no claim of your own, you may unfortunately end up having to pay for their medical bills.
