You have been injured or wronged. What should you do next? Should you contact an attorney immediately? Should you wait a couple months to see if things get better before you inquire to a lawyer? Should you try to handle the situation on your own? These are some questions that surely go through one’s mind after an injury. There are no hard-and-fast answers to these questions. Each situation is different and may call for a different course of action. With that said, there are some important reasons to contact an attorney sooner rather than later after you have been injured or wronged.
To start, a benefit of contacting an attorney shortly after an injury is the facts of the incident are still fresh in your mind. As time passes, memories fade. This is not to say you will not be able to remember what happened to you further down the road, but you will most likely be able to remember some intricate details of what happened closer to the events than you would later. Contacting an attorney in a timely fashion will allow you to completely explain the events while all the facts are still fresh in your mind. This will not only allow you to tell an attorney what happened more accurately, it will help the attorney evaluate the case and determine the next steps regarding your matter.
Next, there is a statute of limitations. The statute of limitations is the time within which you need to file a lawsuit -- or you will be forever barred from pursuing your claim. Importantly, the statute of limitations varies depending on the type of claim; therefore, some statutes of limitations are shorter in duration than others. Contacting an attorney sooner rather than later better ensures you comply with the statute of limitations and file your suit, if needed, before the statute of limitations runs.
Another reason it is important you contact an attorney sooner rather than later is getting an attorney involved earlier in the process makes sure your interests are protected at all times. Once you have contacted and hired an attorney, the attorney will do all the heavy lifting for you. The attorney will communicate with the applicable parties and the insurance companies. Also, the attorney will monitor your medical treatment and make sure all the relevant medical information is obtained and sent to applicable party and/or entity.
Contacting an attorney shortly after your incident has a plethora of practical benefits. Picking up the phone or placing a request to an attorney’s office only takes a few minutes and can be beneficial to you and your family. Every attorney may handle your matter slightly differently, but each one maintains the goal of making your life better going forward. Keep these points in mind the next time you are contemplating if it is time to contact an attorney.
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