The Most Important Questions to Ask a Wrongful Death Lawyer

Losing a loved one is devastating, but it is even more painful if someone else’s actions caused the death. You will want answers to understand what happened, find closure, and get justice for your loved one. The family might also want to file a wrongful death lawsuit. You can do so with the help of a wrongful death attorney, but you need to choose the right one to ensure the best outcome. Asking the right questions will help you understand whether a lawyer is right for your case and the process of getting compensated for wrongful death.

 

What Experience Do You Have with Wrongful Death Claims?

This should be among the first questions you ask a wrongful death attorney. An attorney with experience with these types of cases will be hugely beneficial in different ways. First, they will understand the filing procedures, including the required documentation and deadlines. This is crucial because making mistakes or missing a deadline when filing can jeopardize your case.

Second, they will be in a better position to evaluate how much your case is worth based on experience. This information puts your wrongful death settlement lawyer in a better position to either negotiate a better settlement or argue for a better award in court.

Lastly, they will give you the support and advice you need through this process. You want someone who offers practical advice to help you understand what is happening and what to do. You also need support when dealing with wrongful death, and the lawyer can either provide it or point you to several resources that make dealing with the passing of a loved one easier.

 

What are Your Fee and Payment Arrangements?

You should also know how and what a wrongful death attorney California will charge for handling your case. The good news is that most attorneys work on contingency. In a contingency arrangement, you do not pay any upfront or ongoing fees.

The lawyer is, instead, paid a percentage of your settlement award once the case concludes or you reach a settlement with the other party.

However, you still need to discuss what percentage the attorney will expect depending on the different expenses and costs they incur while representing you.

 

How Long Do I Have to File?

California law has a strict statute of limitations for wrongful death suits. Apart from a few exceptional cases, you have two years to file, and the countdown starts from the date of the loved one’s death.

One exception is when family members are not reasonably expected to have known about their loved one’s death and only found out much later. In such cases, the court may rule that the two-year period should start when the family members discovered the passing.

Another exception is in medical malpractice cases. Here, you have a year to file from the date of death or when the family discovered the malpractice. However, the court can extend the filing window in special circumstances, such as when there is evidence of concealment or fraud.

The other exception is if you want to file a suit against a government agency. In that situation, you only have six months to file, underlining the importance of contacting the best wrongful death lawyers so they can look into your case and file as soon as possible.

 

How Long Will My Case Take?

Every wrongful death case is different, so there is no reasonable way to tell how long one will last. However, an experienced lawyer will consider the facts and evidence and give you a rough estimate. They will also consider potential delays, such as in the discovery process, and inform you appropriately.

Because they understand the situation’s urgency, a wrongful death law firm will do its best to resolve the case as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 

What is Your Approach When Negotiating with Insurance Companies?

Once you file a lawsuit or hire a lawyer, the other party’s insurance provider will more often than not reach out with a settlement offer. Their aim is to settle as fast as possible for as little as they can get away with.

Your wrongful death attorney should have a strategy for negotiating with them so that they can give you the settlement you deserve. The wrongful death lawyers at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys have vast experience dealing with settlement negotiations and will help you avoid being lowballed by an insurance company.

 

Are You Prepared for Trial If My Case Goes to Court?

Most wrongful death cases are settled out of court. However, some end up in litigation, and you need to know whether your attorney is prepared to argue your case in court if necessary. A reassuring answer would be a resounding yes, with the attorney telling you about their experience taking similar cases to trial and their win rates.

 

What Type of Compensation Can I expect?

In California, there are two types of damages in wrongful death cases: economic and non-economic. Each will play a role in what your final settlement will look like.

Economic losses refer to direct financial losses that the family has suffered or will suffer in the future due to the death of a loved one. These can include medical costs, funeral or burial costs, loss of benefits, and the value lost from not receiving assistance from the defendant.

These costs and losses are more challenging to calculate than those in routine personal injury cases because they are future projections. However, an experienced wrongful death settlement lawyer will help you quantify anything and include it in your case details.

Non-economic damages refer to intangible losses. These can include pain and anguish, loss of companionship, love, care, and intimacy for couples, and parental guidance for the children. Since they must consider numerous factors and variables, every attorney calculates non-economic damages differently.

Choosing the right attorney to handle a wrongful death case ensures the family can get compensation and justice, hold the other party accountable, and get the closure it deserves. Asking the right questions is the best way of knowing whether the lawyer will provide the level of representation and lead to the best settlement or award.

The 7 Types of Personal Injury Cases Oakland Lawyers Usually Work On

A personal injury lawsuit arises when a person suffers an injury(s) due to another person’s actions. In most cases, these actions amount to negligence, where a person fails to provide the care that a reasonable person would in the same situation. In other cases, those actions can be classified as recklessness, which is more serious than negligence and is often associated with a person’s deliberate and unjustified actions without regard for their consequences.

You can seek compensation with the help of experienced personal injury attorneys if you are injured in an accident or through the actions of another person. Let’s look at the most common cases accident injury lawyers handle in Oakland.

 

Car Accidents

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says there were over 39,500 car accidents that resulted in close to 43,000 fatalities in the United States in 2021. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on the other hand, says that there are about 7,500 people injured in car accidents every day.

These numbers mean that car accidents are one of the most common causes of personal injuries and the resulting lawsuits.

There are various reasons for the prevalence of these types of accidents, including reckless and distracted driving, poor vehicle maintenance, poor weather and road conditions, ignoring traffic signals, speeding, and driving under the influence.

You should always collect as much evidence as possible and get medical attention following a car accident because some injuries only present with symptoms later. You should then hire a vehicle accident lawyer to help you file a lawsuit and navigate the process of getting compensated. The right personal injury accident lawyer will also negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf if they make an offer.

 

Pedestrian Accidents

Drivers must be acutely aware that pedestrians could be using the road at the same time and take necessary precautions to avoid hitting them. Pedestrian accidents are so serious because they are unprotected, unlike the vehicle’s occupants. For these reasons, the types of injuries a person can sustain range from minor cuts and bruises to broken bones and even traumatic brain injuries.

Some common causes of pedestrian accidents include speeding, failure to yield, ignoring traffic lights, and distracted driving. Even though drivers are often to blame for these accidents.

 

Motorcycle Accidents

As with pedestrians, there is nothing to protect a motorcycle when struck by a vehicle. Motorcycle accidents often lead to catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and road rash. They can also lead to fatalities depending on their specific circumstances, such as the speed of the motorcycle and vehicle and angle of impact.

Because the catastrophic injuries they cause can lead to life-changing injuries, you should contact a motorcycle accident lawyer immediately following an accident. They will help you recover damages, including lost wages, inability to get back to work, medical bills, pain and suffering, and even property damage related to your motorcycle.

You can also file a wrongful death lawsuit with the help of wrongful death lawyers if a loved one passes away following a motorcycle accident. You can contact the attorneys at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys for a no-obligation consultation to discuss the accident.

 

Slip and Fall or Premises Liability Cases

Property owners and operators must ensure their premises are safe for residents, guests, and anyone else with access, such as mail carriers. Slip and fall accidents are the most common type of premises liability cases filed and can be filed against businesses and individual owners.

The owner or operator must repair all issues that could cause accidents, remove them, or place adequate warning signs close to the hazard. Failure to do this could lead to serious accidents, including broken bones, head injuries, and others. Contact a personal injury attorney if you have been injured on a property so they can help you determine whether you have a case and who to sue if you do.

 

Animal Attacks and Bites

Most cases of animal attacks and bites involve dogs. Owners must take reasonable measures as outlined in the law to ensure their dogs do not cause these types of injuries, lest they be liable in case they happen.

Animal or dog bites are dangerous because they can cause various infections, with the main concern being rabies. There is no treatment for rabies, and it is almost always fatal once the victim starts showing symptoms. For this reason, you should seek medical attention immediately to get a series of shots that prevent an infection.

 

Bicycle Accidents

Oakland has a very supportive bike culture and has been designated the most bike-friendly city in California. Since there are so many cyclists in the city, bicycle accidents are common. Bike accidents occur when a vehicle strikes a bicycle while a rider is on it, or when cyclists strike them as they appear from intersections and parking garages.

As with motorcycle accidents, these accidents are very serious, resulting in road rash, broken bones, and head, neck, and spinal cord injuries. Accident injury lawyers CA can help you navigate the complicated laws surrounding traffic and bicycles so you can know who is liable and file a lawsuit.

 

Defective or Malfunctioning Medical Devices

We expect the best outcomes when a doctor assures us that a new medical device will improve our health, well-being, and quality of life. However, that is not always the case if the device is defective or malfunctions. Such devices can cause harm, including pain and tissue damage, negating the benefits the doctor told you about.

Personal injuries have devastating effects, especially if they lead to life-long pain or the victim becomes disabled. The lawyers at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys lawyers can help you with different types of personal injury cases depending on the cause and the person responsible. Get in touch today for a free consultation through our contact page.

How Much Is a California Claim For Pain and Suffering After a Car Accident Worth?

Personal injury claims for pain and suffering after a car accident are becoming increasingly common. These cases are taken seriously because car accidents are traumatic events that cause untold emotional repercussions and serious injuries too. If you are considering making a claim of this nature, you will naturally wonder how much compensation is owed. The answer is case-dependent and will be determined by the extent of injury and suffering.

 

How Are Pain and Suffering Defined in CA?

Pain and suffering are somewhat unquantifiable, however, there are a few ways to determine the amount a plaintiff has suffered. Factors such as the severity of injury and the scale of consequences it inflicted all have an important part to play and will be taken seriously. If you can show that you have lasting physical pain, event-specific anxiety, depression, your life has changed for the worse, or you are working through PTSD then this is grounds for movement. Though, these are not the only circumstances that can be put forward.

 

When a Loved One Dies

If you are filing a lawsuit because you have lost a loved one, there are different things to take into account. You may not have suffered from any injury yourself, but the very fact that you are grieving the life of someone you love is more than enough justification for bringing a case into action. Talk to our wrongful death attorney experts at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys to understand more about how to begin this type of legal journey.

 

When There is No Physical Injury

It is possible to set a lawsuit or insurance claim into motion if you have no physical injury to evidence. If you have been through something traumatic, and there have been substantial impacts on your mental health which continue to affect your ability to re-engage with typical life, you have a case.

 

Common Ways to Prove Pain and Suffering

If you are wondering how to prove pain and suffering, our team can help. The following factors are frequently assessed in this type of case, and anything you can offer to prove a single one will be useful when it comes to determining the final compensation amount.

 

Medical Records

Medical records are official accounts of the physical injuries you are claiming for. If there are no physical injuries, then a statement from a doctor or healthcare official like a psychologist will be beneficial as well. This will be a big part of how the case is assessed so while you are not legally obligated to provide such details, the act of not doing so will decrease the amount of compensation you are entitled to.

 

Therapist Reviews

Therapist reviews will confirm that the emotional pain you are claiming is valid. They are bound by client confidentiality but you can request a statement on your behalf that supports the claim in question. This should detail the extent of your sessions and all of the ways you have been impacted through their professional lens.

 

Proof of Life Pre-Accident

The main reason these claims are brought to life is because the victim has suffered in life after the accident. They may not be able to work, or even go out and enjoy time with their friends. You can prove this through photographs and witness statements of how you were before the accident, and by representing what life looks like now. If you are staying in the house more often, for example, this will be straightforward enough to prove.

 

Family and Friend Accounts

You can also ask family and friends to provide accounts to support your claim. These should detail how you were before you were injured or emotionally scarred, and the ways you have changed since it took place. These will be crucial bits of evidence because the people you are closest to always have the deepest insight into your personality and well-being.

 

Are There Any Limits on What You Can Claim?

In California, any good car accident lawyer will know that there are no limits to what you can claim. This means everything should be on the table for discussion and that you receive an appropriate, proportionate sum for your losses. This doesn’t mean you can request a ridiculous, unrealistic sum but it does mean that is possible to assign a complete amount to what you have been through and work with the process to get what you deserve.

 

Two Common Methods

There are two common methods that are used in both insurance claims and lawsuits. These options aim to assign a monetary figure to the pain and suffering you have experienced both during and after the incident occurred.

 

Multiplier

The multiplier method considers every single economic hit you have taken and puts it against a scale of 1-5. This scale represents the degree of suffering you have entailed and factors in things like the extent of pain and emotional toll of the accident in question. Your personal injury accident attorney will be able to determine the correct number that your circumstances should be defined as.

 

Per diem

This is a calculation method that considers the daily dollar amount that you could claim post-accident. For example, if you have been forced to take time off from work and are therefore losing income at a rapid rate, this is relevant. Each day you have lost will be calculated and become a part of your settlement figure.

Pain and suffering are entirely personal things. What you feel is unique to you, and nobody should dismiss this without a thorough investigation. When an accident takes place or you face life without a loved one by your side, our attorneys can help you make the right decisions and seek justice.

Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys are here to help. Make an appointment at our law offices to discuss the case with our team of professional experts or pick up the phone and make a call to begin the conversation.

Why Commercial Vehicle Insurance Is Essential for California Businesses

Every detail matters within the thriving business ecosystem of California. From hiring the best talent to optimizing workflow processes, entrepreneurs leave no stone unturned. Another crucial aspect that demands attention is safeguarding company assets, particularly when it comes to commercial vehicles. If you are a business owner with a fleet, commercial vehicle insurance isn’t just a recommendation – it’s essential. Let’s explore why.

 

Protect Your Financial Investment

Commercial vehicles aren’t just a mode of transportation; they are a significant investment in your business. Whether it’s a single delivery van or an entire fleet of trucks, there’s substantial capital involved. Accidents, theft, or damage can result in considerable financial loss and the need to work with a vehicle accident lawyer. Commercial vehicle insurance acts as a buffer against these unforeseen expenditures, ensuring that mishaps don’t derail your business’s finances.

 

Legal Compliance and Peace of Mind

The State of California mandates that all commercial vehicles have a minimum amount of liability insurance. Operating without the required insurance can result in hefty fines, potential litigation, and even the suspension of your business operations. Having the right coverage, on the other hand, not only ensures you are compliant with the law but also provides you with peace of mind. With adequate insurance, you can focus on the day-to-day running of your business without the nagging concern of potential liabilities. An automobile accident lawyer can help if you’re not sure what insurance you need, or if you are dealing with the aftermath of an accident with an uninsured driver.

 

Shield Against Liability Claims

If a commercial vehicle associated with your business causes harm to someone or damages property, the repercussions can be severe. Liability claims can soar, sometimes reaching amounts that can put the very existence of a company at risk. Motor vehicle accident lawyers work tirelessly to get the highest compensation for their clients, which will come out of your pocket if insurance cannot cover it. With commercial vehicle insurance, you’re equipped to handle such situations. It covers the associated costs, preventing any undue strain on your business finances.

 

Upholding Your Business Reputation

A well-maintained fleet can be a reflection of your company’s professionalism. If a vehicle breaks down or is involved in an incident due to a lack of proper coverage, it can harm your business image. On the other hand, showing responsibility by insuring your vehicles can help build trust among clients and stakeholders. It sends the message that safety and professionalism are top priorities.

 

Employee Protection and Retention

Your employees are the backbone of your business. If they drive your vehicle, their safety should be paramount. In the unfortunate event of an accident, commercial vehicle insurance ensures that your employees receive the necessary medical attention without the burden of costs. Such provisions not only protect the wellbeing of your team but can also boost morale and improve retention rates. After all, employees are more likely to stay loyal to a company that values their safety and wellbeing.

 

Future-Proofing Your Operations

Business landscapes evolve, sometimes unpredictably. As your company grows, so might your fleet. Having insurance in place prepares you for this growth. Whether you add more vehicles or expand into different areas of California, an existing insurance policy can often be adjusted to accommodate these changes. This proactive approach ensures that even as your operations scale, every new vehicle remains protected from day one.

 

Enhanced Productivity and Operational Efficiency

In a dynamic business environment, every minute counts. Unexpected disruptions due to vehicular issues can significantly impact productivity. When a vehicle is side-lined because of an accident or damage, deliveries might be delayed, client meetings postponed, or essential services interrupted. Commercial vehicle insurance often comes with provisions for rental services or quick repairs. This ensures that your operations run smoothly without prolonged interruptions. When your fleet is consistently on the move, your business’s efficiency and productivity thrive, setting you apart from competitors and solidifying your reliability in the market.

 

Flexibility in Customizing Coverage

Every business is unique, and so are its requirements. While some companies might need a comprehensive plan that covers every possible scenario, others might be looking for something more basic. The beauty of commercial vehicle insurance is its adaptability. Insurance providers often offer a range of coverage options, allowing businesses to tailor policies to their specific needs. Whether it’s collision coverage, comprehensive protection, or uninsured motorist provisions, you can mix and match based on your business risks and budget. This flexibility ensures you’re not paying for anything you don’t need while still maintaining a robust safety net for your fleet.

 

Safeguarding Business Continuity

Business continuity is all about planning and preparing to ensure that operations can continue no matter the challenges or crises faced. Commercial vehicles, often being integral to a company’s operations, play a key role in this equation. By ensuring these vehicles have the right coverage, you can create a contingency plan for your business. Whether a vehicle is damaged in a natural disaster, vandalized, or involved in an accident, insurance can expedite repairs or replacement. This fast action reduces downtime and ensures that the business continues to serve its customers, maintain its revenue streams, and uphold its commitments without major disruptions.

 

Secure Your Business Future

Understanding the importance of commercial vehicle insurance is just the beginning. To truly protect your business and navigate the complexities of California’s legal landscape, you need the right professionals by your side.

With years of dedicated experience and a team of motor vehicle accident lawyers, Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys are here to guide you through every legal challenge. Whether you’re dealing with an accident in your fleet or have been involved in an accident involving a commercial vehicle, we can help.

Contact us today for a free consultation. Whether you’re a business owner, employee, driver, or a member of the public, our team has extensive experience in accidents and insurance and can offer advice and support for almost any situation.

What to Do Next If You Are a Passenger in a California Motorcycle Accident

Motorcycles are more than just a mode of transportation, for many, they are a way of life. They allow you to experience the open air and be at one with your surroundings in a way that a car just can’t do. And while they do offer many advantages over cars, unfortunately, they have some disadvantages too. The most obvious is the risk they can pose to drivers and their passengers. When you get in an accident while riding a motorcycle, your risk of injury tends to be much higher simply because you don’t have anything to protect you.

Here we’ll take a look at the statistics involving motorcycle crashes, what steps you should take if you are a passenger in a California motorcycle accident, and how a personal injury attorney can help you.

 

The Statistics Paint a Sobering Picture

Getting into an accident isn’t something you want to think about, but here in California and across the country it is a reality.  According to statistics, motorcycle riders have a much higher risk of death in an accident – 28 times more likely to be exact. In the year 2020 alone, there were 82,528 injuries sustained by motorcycle riders.

So while the chance of a potential accident shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your passion, it can help guide you in terms of the precautions you take.

 

The Initial Steps After an Accident Are Important

There is a big misconception that motorcycle accidents happen primarily in bad weather such as rain, but that isn’t always the case. Crashes happen year-round, especially in states that don’t experience snow and wintery conditions such as California. It’s for these reasons that riders and passengers must be aware of the important steps to follow after an accident.

As a passenger on a motorcycle that has been in an accident, your first concern is to receive medical attention. Even if you don’t think your injuries are serious, it’s best to get looked at properly. You could have internal injuries that you may not be aware of. Be careful not to move around if you are injured, as you don’t want to make things worse.

Depending on your injuries, if possible, try to take photos of the accident, the surrounding environment/road, and pictures of witness license plates. All of this information can come in handy later.

The police should also be called right away, as this will ensure that an official report is written and filed. This becomes an important document when building a personal injury claim.

 

Once Stable – It’s Time to Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Once your physical well-being has been stabilized, it’s time to contact a motorcycle accident attorney. The reason you want to contact them so soon after the accident is that the details will still be fresh in your mind. To be the best motorcycle accident lawyer for you, they need as much information as possible so they can put together a strong claim.

You will be asked to recount all of the events leading up to the accident, in detail, as even the smallest thing may make a huge difference in your claim. Some of the information your road accident lawyer may ask for include:

  • Medical records
  • Medical bill invoices
  • Police report
  • Photos of the accident scene
  • Photos of your injuries
  • Witness statements
  • Witness contact details
  • Insurance information for all drivers involved

How Much Compensation Can You Receive?

Compensation will be something you and your motorcycle accident lawyer can discuss at length. Because it is meant to cover a wide array of things – medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering – there is no standard amount.

Here in California, there is also no limit on the amount of compensation a claimant can ask for in terms of pain and suffering. CA-based Accident injury lawyers are aware of this fact and will work through your case to figure out a reasonable number to aim for. You can’t pick a number based on how much emotional damage you have suffered.

To figure out pain and suffering, your personal injury accident attorney may use a “multiplier method”. They will add up all the financial losses you have suffered due to the accident, and then they multiply that total by a multiple between one and five. The multiplier is determined based on the severity and extent of your injuries. The worse your injuries are, the higher the multiple is. So while this doesn’t determine how much your emotions are worth, it does factor in how severe the situation is.

The other method commonly used to determine compensation for pain and suffering is the per diem method. This takes a day-by-day approach. An amount of money is determined to reflect one day of recovery, that amount is then applied to each day of the recovery process. To figure out the per diem rate, an average daily wage rate is used.

The problem is that pain and suffering can be difficult to prove. There are no tests that show your pain and suffering, so that means no documents to back up your position. Instead, top personal injury attorneys will look at such things as your grief, emotional stress and agony, diminished quality and enjoyment of life, fear, anxiety, depression, PTSD, physical sensation of pain, and more.

Your personal injury accident attorney will still need to collect things such as medical records and documents, but also to back up pain and suffering they can use testimony from your counselor or therapist, statements from mental health professionals, testimony from close friends and family, a statement from you, and even journal entries. It’s about painting a full picture of what you’re truly going through outside of just the physical injuries.

The other factors involved in compensation are much easier to figure out since you have tangible bills in terms of your medical needs.

 

Call On Us to Help

As you can see, one of the best things you can do for yourself after being injured as a passenger in a motorcycle accident is to contact us at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys. We will take care of all the work and stress so you can focus on healing. We want to fight for you and get you fair compensation.

What is the Time Limit on the Farmers Insurance Auto Insurance Claim?

There is always a time limit to filing claims and Farmers Insurance claims are no exception to that rule. In case you were involved in an auto accident covered by your Farmers Insurance policy, it is of the utmost importance that you take some time out to understand how the time limit works in such cases. Up next, we will be exploring and answering some of the most common and important questions that people have after being involved and injured in an auto accident.

 

What Exactly is the Farmers Auto Insurance Claim Time Limit?

The Farmers Auto Insurance claim time limit defines the maximum amount of time you have to report the incident and file the insurance claim. The timer will start from the date of the accident, but there is no way to be sure when it will end without knowing the exact details, such as the specific policy you have signed up for and the applicable laws and regulations of the concerned state where the accident happened. In exceptional cases, extenuating circumstances might be cited if present to get an extension. Nevertheless, you will need to consult with your Farmers Insurance agent and inform them about the same as quickly as possible.

 

What is Most Crucial in Determining the Farmers Auto Insurance Claim Time Limit?

There are quite a few crucial factors here, but a lot depends on the state in question. In general, all of the following will play crucial roles in determining how much time you will have to file the claim after the accident.

The State – Different states have different regulations about auto insurance policies, so it will partially depend on which state is being discussed. If it is necessary to file a claim against the insurer or the party at fault for the accident, the lawsuit must be filed within the concerned state’s Statute of Limitations for personal injury and property damage.

There is also the question of whether the accident happened in a fault state or no-fault state. In some states, the fault might be shared between you and the other party. The compensation will be awarded based on your percentage of participation in actions that led to the accident. Other states will always have one party responsible for paying the other.

Statute of Limitation – As explained, the statute of limitation is going to be key if you need to bring legal action under the guidance of your auto accident lawyer to sue one or more parties for compensation. For example, the Statute of Limitation in the state of California is just two years for personal injuries, but you get three years to claim compensation for property damages. In Texas, you will have a total of two years to file a lawsuit against the party at fault for both personal injuries and/or property damages.

Personal Injury – One of the first things you should do after getting injured in an automotive accident is seek medical assistance. Get yourself thoroughly checked and be sure to keep all documents, prescriptions, bills, and medical reports. You will need them for everything related to your personal injury claim and your Farmers Auto Insurance claim.

You will also need them if you decide to sue any party involved. However, they will first play a key role in determining how much time you will have between the day of accident and your day of filing the claim. Serious injuries and debilitating medical conditions can stretch your time limit further than usual.

Vehicle Assessment and/or Repair Documents – When it comes to auto insurance, the condition of the car or cars involved in the accident will play a huge role. It will not only determine the time limit to file a claim, but those documents are going to be crucial in making a successful claim and proving your case later if you decide to sue someone who was involved in the accident. Even if you plan to get your car fully repaired, don’t forget to take photos before those repairs are completed. Consult with your motor vehicle accident lawyers for more information on how to proceed.

 

What is the Time Limit for Reporting an Accident to Law Enforcement?

You should always try to report the accident immediately if possible, or as soon as possible. The police report itself is an essential document and a mandatory requirement for filing claims in all states. It does not matter whether you are only filing for your Farmers Auto Insurance coverage or filing a lawsuit against the party at fault; you will need a police report. Therefore, it is best to never think about how long you may have to report to the police, and get it done as soon as you can.

However, it’s always best to call the local emergency line or 911 right after the accident. This is especially important if you are injured in the accident. Trying to get away from the scene of the accident without help can lead to medical and legal complications. For the sake of information, note that the time limit can be just 7-10 days or 20-30 days, depending on the state. Check with your car or truck accident lawyer for more information.

 

What are Your Options If You are Already Too Late File the Claim?

It is highly recommended that you try and maintain the time limit. In case that is no longer possible, contact Farmers Insurance and discuss your options with an agent. As already mentioned, there are several factors that can be used to lengthen the time limit, but most of those routes will need to go through a proper legal channel.

You can contact us at Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys for free counsel from our best auto accident attorneys. You will be provided with a step-by-step guide on how to proceed for the best results. If you have a just case, we will take it on and fight for you to win the compensation you rightfully deserve.