You have three years to file an accident claim over property damage in California. You generally have two years to file an injury claim if you were hurt in a Bakersfield collision.
The right to file a lawsuit and seek help with your recovery is great, but it means very little if a giant car insurance company refuses to accept liability. You could be trying to heal from a broken arm, only to find out that the other driver’s insurer is pointing the finger of blame at you.
If your accident involves a serious injury, it’s a good idea to discuss your options with a skilled Bakersfield car accident lawyer. Turning your case over to a lawyer is a good way to protect yourself from being falsely blamed. It’s also a safeguard for you when an insurer tries discount your injuries. We offer an absolutely free and confidential case consultation to all Kern County injury victims. This case review comes with no obligation to you.
Avoiding Delay on Support After a Car Accident in Bakersfield
Your life can quickly be upended after a careless driver sends you into an accident. It might happen along a busy road like California Avenue on the way to school. It could happen when a driver merges onto Highway 99 without checking blind spots.
You might suddenly be in medical debt you have no chance to make the first payment on. You could be out of work for too long and suddenly be without the money you need to pay normal monthly bills like the rent or car payments. And that’s not to mention the pain you may experience with an injury and a long recovery.
Fortunately, California permits victims to file insurance claims and seek money from the at-fault driver’s provider.
- With damages to a car, victims are given up to three years to file a claim and seek reimbursement for car repairs or replacement.
- With injuries, victims are allowed to wait up to two years from the date of the car accident to file claims. In some cases, the two-year countdown doesn’t start right away if an injury isn’t identified immediately. The countdown could start on the day an injury is discovered.
There are some other considerations when sending your demands to a car insurer. Victims may not want to wait months or years to file a claim, because it can hurt their cases:
- A long wait may mean that evidence becomes harder to find.
- A long wait may mean that video evidence gets erased before it can be requested.
- A long wait could mean that witnesses become more difficult to locate or forget key details.
- Filing as soon as possible offers a better chance for victims to get the support they need sooner.
Of course, deciding when your case is ready to file is an important decision. A skilled attorney would help you gather evidence for your case and help you figure out when it’s built strongly and ready to be filed.
When Do I Need a Lawyer for a Bakersfield Car Accident Case?
If your accident only involves car damage, you can usually do okay by handling your case yourself. The claims process for getting a car repaired or for getting compensation for a totaled car has become fairly standard.
But if your collision leaves you or a loved one with a serious injury, and you weren’t to blame, it’s a good idea to speak with a real lawyer in a free, no-obligation case consultation. A good attorney can often secure you much more than you could hope to win by handling your case yourself.
And if you do need a lawyer to represent you, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll pay Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers. We don’t charge anything unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check that an insurer must write for you.