How long after the accident can I apply for compensation?
Compensation Limitation Period
The limitation period for an accident compensation case in Britain is 3 years. This is what the law states, so you will find this type of information in most articles regarding the rules of applying for compensation in the UK.
ABS Lawyers always advise our customers to begin their claim process as soon as possible after involvement in an accident. The main reason for this type of approach is the fact that, immediately after the event, we can collect the largest amount of evidence for compensation. With time, many issues regarding the course of the accident, recovery after the accident, costs incurred by us as a result of the accident blur out, which is not beneficial for the person applying for compensation. The second reason is, of course, the statute of limitations. The other party’s insurers know it very well, and in late-reported cases, they often try to act for delay in order to postpone certain trials and deliberately limit the case.
How does it work?
As we mentioned, the law states that there are 3 years to make a claim, and this is the limitation period for a case for compensation in Britain. However, we must remember that when we are delaying the initiation of the claim for damages, and the limitation period begins to approach in time, the law firm that could potentially lead the case for you may reject your application. This is not because the accident has lost grounds for compensation, the reason is much more prosaic. You must remember that the legal mechanisms necessary for a case to go to court extend over time. When the time between the case and the statute of limitations is short, there is a risk that the law firm will not manage to complete all the formalities that will allow the process of fighting for accident compensation and avoiding the statute of limitations. Moreover, when the limitation period is not that distant in time, the third party’s insurer may do everything to delay the processes leading to the legal initiation of the case and lead to the statute of limitations. Such a game of time is the rule in such cases, so law firms in such cases very often do not take up the fight for compensation, because they know that they will not be able to meet the formal conditions that will avoid the statute of limitations.
How to avoid limitation of a case for compensation?
In order to avoid the limitation period of a claim for damages in Britain, it is best to start the claim process as soon as possible after the accident. If you do it quickly, you can be sure that the other party’s insurer will not be able to make the case time-barred. In addition, after reporting the case quickly, you can be sure that the amount of compensation will cover all your losses and expenses, because your lawyers will make sure that you are informed about what you can recover for, what receipts you should keep and how you should act in order not to have to contribute to rehabilitation and repairing damages after an accident.
If for some reason you did not start your compensation process immediately after the accident, then you should not consider that the case is lost in advance. It is worth contacting us and taking advice from our consultants and lawyers. If the statute of limitations is not too close, there is still a chance to recover money lost as a result of the accident and treatment. However, you must remember that the longer you wait to start a case, the less chance it will be for a law firm to handle it. When there is less than six months to the statute of limitations, the chances of starting a case begin to decrease drastically.
We are here for you
If you are wondering whether, despite the passage of time, you can still apply for compensation, one call to 0151 440 2440 is enough – we will verify your case and provide all necessary information for free!