Just about every industry has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants and small businesses have all but shut down. Schools have been closed for months and, at the earliest, won’t reopen until the fall. Government buildings have been closed, except for very limited services. For people who need to file a personal injury cases in Georgia, things are a bit up in the air right now.
Whether you’ve recently been injured in some sort of accident or were in the middle of filing your personal injury suit, things are confusing right now. You may have no idea where your case stands. You are not alone in this feeling. The court are slowly starting to reopen. They are trying to prioritize certain cases to make sure things are handled in the right order. For example, cases involving domestic violence or child custody take precedence over personal injury claims. That may not be the news you want to hear, but it’s the current reality.
The good news is that courts in Georgia are slowly starting to reopen. They are creating timelines and guidelines for how this will happen. Your personal injury lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia can help you figure out what to do next. And, if you haven’t retained a personal injury lawyer because you were afraid to venture out for your initial consultation, that’s okay. You can call our office today and schedule a telephone consultation.
The Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases in Georgia
If you need to file a personal injury lawsuit, you only have a certain amount of time to do it. In Georgia, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two (2) years. This means you only have two (2) years from the date of your injury to file suit. If you miss this deadline, even by a day, your case can be dismissed. Either the judge will dismiss it on their own or the defendant will file a motion asking that your case be dismissed.
The good news is that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the courts have paused the statute from running. However, that doesn’t mean that you have a reprieve in the long-term. The freeze put in place by the courts was for a short amount of time. Once that time is up, the statute will start running again and you’ll be racing against the clock. This is why It’s best to call and talk to a Georgia personal injury lawyer now rather than waiting. Let them review and evaluate your case so you can decide how you want to proceed.
When Will Things Get Back to Normal?
Truth be told, things may never return to the way they were before COVID-19 hit our country. There will be new normal once all of this is over. This could be a better normal. Or, it may be a frustrating scenario. We won’t really know until time shows us how things develop. As far as your personal injury claim is concerned, however, things will get back to normal as far as the courts are concerned. Yes, your attorney may rely on electronic filing instead of in-person filing. And you may attend hearings or depositions using Zoom or Skype. But this won’t really change the outcome of your case. If you have any questions about how your case will proceed, just call our office and talk to one of our attorneys. They can answer just about any question you may have.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer in Georgia Today
If you or your loved one have been hurt in any sort of accident, you’ll need help. You should call our office and schedule your free initial consultation right away. We can conduct the consultation by phone, so you don’t have to worry about any sort of COVID infection. You can always send your documentation by email or fax so we can review it ahead of time. You only have a certain amount of time to start your case. There’s no better time like the present.
Call today and set up a date and time that works for you. Let one of our seasoned attorneys review your case and let you know if you have a strong claim. We can even give you an idea of what your case might be worth. The defendant is going to have an attorney working for them. You need to have someone by your side as well. The consultation is free and you don’t pay anything until your case is resolved.