Answers To Your Personal Injury Questions
After you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, you are almost certain to have questions. If your accident was caused by someone else, how can you hold them responsible? How can you get the financial support you need? What is the next step you should take?
To protect your rights after an accident and to seek the compensation you need to address the medical and financial impact that your accident has had on your life, contact Hammett, Bellin & Oswald, LLC. Our personal injury attorneys have decades of combined experience. We are proud to assist clients in Neenah and Appleton who are seeking the damages they are due after an accident.
Do I Really Need To Work With An Attorney?
Just like any case, whether or not you work with a lawyer is up to you. However, while you might choose to handle a claim on your own, working with an attorney has a number of benefits. Your lawyer can help you ensure that all relevant deadlines are met, assist you in gathering documentation of your injuries and other costs associated with your accident and help you navigate the complexities of personal injury law. All this allows you to focus on your recovery in the aftermath of your accident.
Is There A Deadline On Filing A Claim? How Long Do I Have?
In the state of Wisconsin, you have deadlines for filing a claim against the person, company or other entity that contributed to your injuries. Statutes of limitations for common injury cases include:
- General personal injury: three years
- Claims against city, county or school employees: 120 days
- Claims against physicians employed by the state of Wisconsin: 180 days
- Fire insurance claims: one year
- Workers’ compensation claims: Notice must be given to employers within two years and claims must be filed within 12 years
Many of the statutes of limitations are related to the particulars of your case, so working with an attorney familiar with Wisconsin’s personal injury law can be an important step in ensuring that time doesn’t run out on your case.
How Much Money Will I Get?
You are probably concerned about whether or not your medical expenses and other financial concerns will be covered by your claim. The value of your claim is usually based on what would be fair compensation for the impact that your accident has had on your life, including:
- The cost of medical bills, including future costs like ongoing prescription costs or future medical care related to the injuries
- The financial impact of time away from work
- Property damage like the loss of your vehicle
- The pain and suffering you have endured
This impact varies depending on the case, and it can be important to work with an attorney to ensure that the full extent of the accident is recorded and considered in your personal injury case. An attorney can also help you explore other potential avenues for compensation. For example, if your workplace injury was the result of a faulty product or another person, your lawyer can help you explore filing both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim after that negligent party.
How Do I Know Whether I Have A Case?
There are a number of factors that could impact whether you are able to file a personal injury lawsuit. The most important thing to establish is that the negligence of another person, a company or another entity caused or contributed to your accident. This can include reckless driving contributing to a car accident, negligent maintenance or lack of control over pets causing an accident on someone’s property, poor maintenance of public areas causing unsafe conditions or faulty products causing harm.
If you are unsure whether your injuries could be the basis for a personal injury lawsuit, consider reaching out to an attorney for a consultation. They will be able to tell you more about your options, help you determine which option is the best choice in your situation and assist you in building a personal injury case if that is the course of action you want to pursue.
Get Answers To Your Questions. Contact Our Attorneys Today.
Working with an experienced attorney is one of the best ways to answer the questions you have about your accident and your case. Call our office at 920-202-8872 or contact us online for a free initial consultation. We have locations in Appleton and Neenah, and serve clients throughout Fox Valley and in Door County.
