How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Truck Accident?
Were you involved in a truck accident in Dallas? You have a limited amount of time to file your claim. Review the statute of limitations for truck accident claims in the state of Texas and learn more about the steps you should take before filing your claim in this article.
Review the Statute of Limitations for Truck Accident Claims
Texas uses a statute of limitations to control how long you can wait to file a claim after you are involved in a truck accident (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code, Title 2 section 16.003). According to this legal code, in most cases, you only have two years to file a claim after you are struck by another driver.
If you wait more than two years, you no longer have the chance to seek compensation for your losses in the majority of truck accident cases. However, there are exceptions to this ruling that may give you substantially more or less time to file your claim.
Exceptions to Texas’ Statute of Limitations
If you were struck by a vehicle that was owned by the government, you may not have two years to file a truck accident claim in Dallas. In fact, in this situation, you may only have six months to file your claim. After this six-month period expires, you may no longer be able to get coverage for your losses.
You may also have extra time to file a claim in some situations. For example, the state of Texas increases the statute of limitations if your accident was caused by a defective product. Sometimes, trucks are made with defects, such as a defective braking system.
If your accident occurred due to a vehicle defect, you could have up to 15 years from the time you purchased the vehicle to file a claim to get compensation in Dallas.
Time-Frame to Begin a Truck Accident Claim
It may be tempting to file a claim or a lawsuit right away after a truck accident in Dallas in order to avoid running out of time. However, it may not be in your best interest to file a claim immediately. In many cases, you may want to wait until you have received medical treatment and recovered from your injuries.
This is because a settlement – or a verdict if you file a lawsuit – may cover your medical expenses after a truck accident. You could be eligible to receive compensation for your:
- Emergency medical care
- Surgeries and other medical procedures
- Hospital stay and rehabilitation
However, if you file your claim too early, you may be unable to get compensation for all of the injuries caused by the accident. You should speak with a Dallas truck accident lawyer to determine the right time to file your claim or lawsuit.
You Can Get Legal Help Immediately After Your Accident
While you may not want to file a lawsuit or claim right away after a truck accident in Dallas, this does not mean that you should wait to get help working on your case. It’s important that you get professional help on your side right away.
You may want to get help from law enforcement officers as soon as your accident occurs. It’s often important to report your accident to the police so they can file a report about what happened. You should also seek medical treatment if you were hurt in the truck accident.
Finally, it’s often advised that you reach out to a lawyer quickly after your accident. Your lawyer may not file a lawsuit for you right away, but they may begin investigating your claim quickly. Your lawyer may question witnesses before they forget what happened, work with accident reconstruction specialists, and more.
If you were hurt in a truck accident in Texas, you may have two years to file a lawsuit. However, in some situations, you may want to seek compensation by settling with the other driver’s insurance company instead. This may allow you to get compensation without facing high legal fees.
Speak to a Lawyer About Filing a Lawsuit for a Truck Accident
How long do you have to file a lawsuit after a truck accident in Dallas? You may have as little as six months or as much as 15 years to file your claim, though usually you only have two years. Start working on your claim now by contacting a Dallas car accident lawyer. Just call (469) 998-4069 or complete our online contact form to learn more.
We are ready to provide you with a free consultation right now.
