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Why Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer is Time-Sensitive

A car accident can be a traumatic, nasty disruption of your life. Apart causing considerable damage to your vehicle and inflicting personal injury, the trauma of the event can leave an indelible mark in your psyche. Motor vehicle accidents are a common cause of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

PTSD is a complex anxiety disorder that can develop after someone is exposed to a terrifying or traumatic experience. The symptoms include reliving the experience, avoiding situations that remind one of the event, having negative beliefs and feelings, and feeling anxious all the time. These symptoms do not usually manifest themselves until months after the traumatic event. Additionally, treatment can be expensive, consisting of a combination of medication and therapy.

Because of the insidious nature of the symptoms, it can be difficult for doctors to diagnose a patient with PTSD right away. But eventually the symptoms can take their toll and those afflicted will look back at their car accident as the source of their trauma, and wonder if they should have taken legal action. But by the time they hire a personal injury lawyer, it may be too late to file a claim.

As in any other state, you have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury claim in the state of Colorado. This is known as the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations for filing a claim for a personal injury or damage resulting from a motor vehicle accident is three years in the state of Colorado. That is, three years from the date the accident occurred. After that, you cannot legally file a lawsuit to obtain financial compensation.

One exception to the statute of limitations is the “discovery rule.” In some cases, it is not reasonable or possible for a person to know the cause of an injury or that an injury has even happened. The “discovery rule” allows a person to file a claim within three years of the when the injury was discovered, not the date of the car accident. If someone dies as the result of a car accident and the family of the victim wants to file a wrongful death claim, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the victim’s death. These deadlines are why it is so important to contact a personal injury lawyer right after you have been involved in an accident. If you wait too long, you risk missing out on the compensation you deserve.

Litigation can be a complicated process, so why not give yourself plenty of time for the lawyers at Bachus & Schanker to build the best case for you? Do not make the mistake of waiting too long to contact an attorney. Even if you think you may be approaching the three-year deadline, you can still contact an experienced Colorado personal injury lawyer to see what your options are. Representing you and securing you the financial compensation you deserve is what Bachus & Schanker does best.

Sources:

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/trauma/other/traumatic-stress-vehicle-accidents.asp
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/colorado-car-accident-laws.html

Kyle opened Bachus & Schanker, with little more than a tiny, rented office and a lot of determination. Starting with less than $15,000, their business has grown into one of the largest, most well respected personal injury firms in the Colorado region. Kyle and his partner Darin Schanker are committed to understanding the circumstances confronting their clients, and ensuring that responsible parties are held accountable for damages they have caused.

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