You generally have four years to file a car accident claim in Florida, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a). This is the statute of limitations for personal injury cases. The clock on this four-year window may begin from the date of your accident or the date that you discovered your injuries.
If your loved one suffered fatal injuries in a car accident, Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d) generally allows you only two years to file a wrongful death case. You should not wait to hire a personal injury attorney for help with your case. If either of these statutes of limitations expires, you may lose your right to seek compensation for your car accident.
The Importance of Acting Quickly After a Florida Car Accident
You may think you have two years or four years to sue after a car accident and that this is plenty enough time to file your case. You should not allow any more time to pass before hiring an attorney, though. If you wait longer to pursue a car accident claim in Florida, you may:
- Allow time to pass without realizing it and put off legal action until there is no more time to file
- Put your attorney in a more challenging position, as they may have limited time to file your personal injury or wrongful death action
- Lose valuable evidence that is available today but could soon become lost, erased, or otherwise unavailable
- Compromise the strength of your compensation case
Injuries need your time and attention, but you also must watch the calendar. If you focus only on your treatment and a regiment of rest and recovery, you could risk forgetting your injury case’s deadline. If you hire a lawyer from our Florida firm today, we can review and file your case as soon as possible.
What Happens If Florida’s Statute of Limitations for My Case Expires?
If you attempt to file a case past Florida’s statute of limitations, the civil court likely will throw the case out. If you are negotiating with an insurance company, you may have no leverage—the insurer may know that you can’t pursue legal action.
There can be exceptions to the statute of limitations for car accident claims in Florida. For example, say you suffered injuries you did not discover until two months after your accident. If you did not have reason to suspect your injuries before you discovered them, the court may extend the statute of limitations in your case by two months.
These exceptions are never guaranteed. The best practice is to file your car accident claim in Florida as quickly as possible. If you can beat the statute of limitations, you should. Our law firm can review your situation and advise you of the timelines and filing deadlines for your case.
Need free legal help in Florida?
We specialize in personal injury claims.
How Can I Start My Car Accident Claim in Florida?
You can hire an attorney from our firm to start your claim. We handle personal injury claims every day, and we know how to file these claims. Our attorney will draft and file your case as soon as possible.
Should I File My Florida Car Accident Claim on My Own?
You can pursue a car accident claim on your own. However, there may be risks to handling your claim without an attorney. You should consider:
- Your injuries: Car accident claims require attention to detail, time, and effort. If you have injuries to care for, a car accident claim may distract you from a speedy recovery. If you try to balance your recovery with your claim, the quality of your healing and your claim may suffer.
- Your experience with car accident claims: If you are not already familiar with car accident claims, you may spend substantial time simply learning about the process. You will then need to complete the process. Instead, you may want to hire an attorney who understands car accident claims to represent you.
- An attorney’s experience: A lawyer’s training in personal injury claims and their experience may be helpful to you. Rather than facing stress, a steep learning curve, and other challenges on your own, a lawyer can handle the legal process for you and update you on your case’s status.
We represent car accident victims in all stages of the post-accident legal process. Our team can take over your case if you have already filed an insurance claim or have yet to file a claim.
Our Florida Attorney Will File and Complete Your Car Accident Claim
A car accident claim lawyer from our firm will handle every step of your case, including:
- Investigating your accident and gathering useful evidence
- Interviewing witnesses
- Hiring experts
- Documenting your damages
- Negotiating a settlement
- Going to trial if we need to
We will also protect you from insurance companies, defendants in your case, and other attorneys. Our firm will fight for the financial recovery you are entitled to.
Call Andrew Pickett Law, PLLC, Today for a Free Consultation
If you are ready to file your Florida car accident claim, reach out to us and complete your free consultation with our team. Our founding attorney, Andrew Pickett, has tried-to-verdict more than 50 jury trials in the past 10 years, and he meets with each client personally to get to know them. Our firm will handle the legal process from start to finish, allowing you to continue your focus on recovery. You can view our team’s case results here.
Call Andrew Pickett Law, PLLC, for your free consultation. Do not wait, as the statute of limitations is closer to expiration with each passing minute.
Need free legal help in Florida?
We specialize in personal injury claims.
