- Car Accidents
Whether or not you want to hire an Atlanta accident lawyer can be a confusing decision to make. Your insurance company may have taken care of most of your losses. Or you just aren’t the kind of person who likes to sue. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, if you do plan to meet with an Atlanta accident lawyer, you don’t want to wait too long. The longer your attorney has to prepare your case, the better chance you’ll have of getting the compensation you deserve. And if you wait too long to retain an attorney, you may miss your filing deadline. Here, we’ll talk about how long you should wait and what can happen if you wait too long,
It Really Depends on the Type of Accident You’re Involved in
Nobody should ever tell you when you need to call an Atlanta accident lawyer. You shouldn’t call until you’re ready. You may not want to sue at all. Maybe you got bit by your neighbor’s dog and you don’t want to sue your friend. Or perhaps the person who hit your car in the middle of the night was a relative and you don’t want to get them in trouble. Whether or not you file suit is your decision, Sure, an Atlanta accident lawyer may recommend or suggest you take legal action. But they can’t and won’t force you to do it,
You Need to Give Your Atlanta Accident Lawyer Plenty of Time Before the Statute of Limitations Runs Out
Every state has a law that spells out how long you have to file a civil lawsuit. Georgia is no different. According to the Georgia statute of limitations, you get two (2) years to file suit. The two years start on the day of your accident. If you miss that deadline, you won’t be able to sue the defendant. Either the judge will notice you’ve missed the filing date, or the defendant will file a motion to dismiss. The judge will have to grant that motion.
It’s Better to Talk to an Attorney Sooner Rather than Later
If you aren’t sure if you want to hire an Atlanta accident lawyer, it doesn’t really make sense to wait. In fact, the sooner you meet with your potential attorney, the longer you have to make up your mind. You’ll also have the information you need to make an intelligent decision. Instead of waiting, worrying about what you should do, just go for it. Take advantage of your free, initial consultation. Sit down with a seasoned Atlanta accident lawyer and see what they have to say. They may tell you that your case isn’t worth anything. Isn’t that something you’d rather know now rather than get your hopes up for months or a year?
What Happens if You Wait Too Long?
Usually, when it comes to the law, there’s always a loophole. It seems like Atlanta accident lawyers can work their magic when they need to. When it comes to the filing deadlines imposed by the Georgia statutes of limitations, there’s nothing your attorney can do to help. Unless you meet one of the very small exceptions to the rule, the judge is going to dismiss your case. Once that happens, you lose your right to sue forever.
Contact an Experienced Atlanta Accident Lawyer Today
Some people wait until the last minute to hire an Atlanta accident lawyer. Technically, there’s nothing wrong with that. If they have time to file your complaint before the statute of limitations period runs out, your case will stay alive. The problem is that the longer you wait, the less time your attorney has to prepare your case. You also want to give them plenty of time to negotiate with the other side. If you can settle your case, that’s almost always a better option than going to trial.’
The truth is that there are no rules or laws that say when you must hire your Atlanta accident lawyer. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t certain rules of thumb. You want to give yourself the best possible chance of getting the compensation you deserve. It doesn’t cost you anything to meet with a seasoned Atlanta accident lawyer. It can’t hurt you to meet with an attorney. You just don’t want to spend too much time shopping around for an attorney. If you do that, you run the risk of missing your filing deadline. If that happens, there’s nothing your attorney can do to help.