When you suffer serious injuries in an accident, dealing with the financial burden that can ensue is understandably no easy feat. While some catastrophic injuries may result from freak accidents, others can be traced back to someone’s careless, reckless, or willful actions.
A catastrophic injury is one that inflicts permanent or long-term physical impairment. Frequent examples of catastrophic injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, paralysis, and severe burns.
It is essential to keep the state’s statute of limitations in mind when filing an injury claim. When someone suffers a catastrophic injury in San Mateo, they typically have two years from the day the accident that caused the injury took place to get a claim started.
In the case of catastrophic injuries stemming from medical negligence, the filing deadline can be three years from when the injury occurred or 12 months from when the victim realized they were injured. The earlier of these two occurrences would serve as the applicable statute of limitations.
While certain exceptions can apply, failing to meet the appropriate filing deadline can leave someone unable to claim compensation. Reaching out to a San Mateo attorney as soon as possible following a catastrophic injury is critical.
Contacting an attorney promptly reduces the risk of missing the legal deadline for a claim. Once an attorney is on the case, they can start creating a rock-solid claim for compensation immediately. Hiring a lawyer early on can also ensure that the plaintiff’s rights are fully protected from the get-go. A lawyer could serve as the legal buffer between the plaintiff and the defendant (or their insurance company) while using tried-and-true strategies and tactics to pursue an optimal case result.
Finding your way back to health after suffering a catastrophic injury, or at least a new normal, can be long and arduous. The physical and psychological toll can be tremendous, not to mention the financial weight of ongoing care and therapy, any assistive devices you may need to use during the recovery and healing process, and the weeks to months or longer you could miss off work.
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