In every legal district, the courts that handle personal injury cases have put a limit on the amount of time allowed for suing, on the part of the injured victim. The starting point for that same period is the day of the accident, the time when the victim could be expected to become aware of the injury. The limitation period defines the length of time given to the possible plaintiff, the person that wants to sue the “at-fault” party.
Special facts about time limitations
Unless an injured child or teenager enjoys the representation provided by a guardian, he or she will have an extended period in which to file a claim. Adults that plan to sue a municipality of the government need to get details on the appropriate notice period. That notice states the amount of time that has been made available to those that intend to sue a large group, one that represents the general public. A government body serves as an excellent example of such a large group.
How lawyers prepare for filing a claim
If a personal injury lawyer in Sherwood Park has been contacted by an injured victim and asked to file a claim, then that member of the legal system will want time in which to prepare all the necessary documents. During that time period, the hired lawyer will hunt down the police records from the accident. By the same token, that lawyer will hunt down the hospital records. In addition, that lawyer will prepare the documents that must be presented to court officials.
Once the necessary documents have been filed, the lawyer for the plaintiff (the victim) will want to conduct a thorough investigation of what happened, before actually filing the claim. That investigation focuses on gathering all the necessary information. It often begins with some scheduled interviews, interviews with named witnesses.
After the interviews have been completed, the lawyer focuses on obtaining valuable photographs. The lawyer’s case will be stronger if he or she can show the jury photographs of the accident scene. The jury’s thinking can also be shaped by exposure to pictures of the damaged vehicles, the ones that got damaged at the time of the investigated accident.
Sometimes lawyers pay a photographer to take such pictures. That gives them more time in which to carry out other activities, such as downloading certain pieces of data. The lawyer downloads such data, with an eye towards learning more about the speed of the “at-fault” driver, at the time of the collision.
If the police have failed to find any tread marks at the scene of the collision, then the downloaded data must be used to underline the risky actions taken by the “at-fault” driver. The driver’s speed can be used to prove that he or she exhibited negligent behavior. When available, that proof works to support the claims made by the victim.