Statute of Limitations for a Baltimore Auto Accident Injury Claim

Statute of Limitations for a Baltimore Auto Accident Injury Claim

As avid followers of my blog, yelp page, and google plus page already know, I am a Baltimore Chiropractor that dedicates that majority of my professional time treating headaches, neck pain, and back pain in Baltimore, MD. About half of the patients that I treat have suffered from Baltimore auto accident injuries that have resulted in whiplash-type injuries to the neck.

I often tell these patients when they come in for an initial evaluation that time is of the essence. First and foremost, it is important for their physical recovery that we stage their injuries and begin treatment right away. Early intervention will help them deal with physical pain as quickly as possible and will help to make sure that scar tissue does not develop that would otherwise cause a long term problem in terms of range of motion or chronic pain.

Time is also of the essence for my Baltimore auto accident injury patients, from a legal perspective. Maryland law allows for two important statutes of limitations when it comes to Baltimore auto accident injury patients. The first deals with opening a PIP claim. In order to access personal injury protection benefits under an auto insurance policy, patients have one year from the date of injury to contact their insurance company and open a claim. You would be surprised how short a year is when you are busy working, providing for your family, getting treatment, and trying to put your life back together. I referenced in a recent blog post how a patient who had been hit while riding a light rail vehicle in Baltimore was able to open a PIP claim and get all of her injury treatment paid for just 2 weeks prior to her one year statute of limitations. She was so relieved to find out that she did not have to pay any copays or any money out of pocket to receive treatment in my office. She was so relieved, in fact, that she gave me a hug when she learned that her insurance would cover her bills!

The second instance where time is of the essence is with regards to the statue of limitations for filing a lawsuit for personal injuries. This is not my area of expertise since I am a treating Chiropractor and health care provider, not a Baltimore auto accident injury attorney. However, the law states that injured clients have up to three years (and not exceeding three years) to file a lawsuit if they intend to following a Baltimore auto accident injury claim.

Notice, that does not mean that a case needs to be settled, or that a lawsuit needs to have been resolved by three years time. Rather, it just needs to have been filed. Personal injury attorneys all the time explain to me how important it is for injured clients to begin their physical recovery right away. For the majority of clients in my office that resolve their complaints with treatment in a matter of weeks to months, this is not a major timeline that they should be worried about. But for the more catastrophic injury patients that have suffered brain damage, spinal cord injuries, etc, this time line may sneak up on them quickly.

I am not necessarily advocating that every patient involved in a Baltimore auto accident injury should hire an attorney when they are injured. Many of my patients do hire one, but that is completely their choice. What I am suggesting is that there are legal time limits that Baltimore auto accident injury patients need to be aware of in order to protect their rights once injured.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured in a Baltimore auto accident, do not waste time in getting the treatment you need to recover from your injuries. Contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic today at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz