Have you ever heard the saying – you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone? Well, this is one thing we all learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. None of us really knew just how much we depended on other people to survive. Some of us learned this when we saw that there was no toilet paper at the grocery store. Others noticed that they weren’t able to go out to eat after a hard day’s work. And, for many people, there was no work at all.
One operation that all but shut down during the pandemic was the court system in Louisiana. For people who were waiting to go to court for their personal injury case, things were put on hold. And, for people who needed to file a personal injury suit, they couldn’t do anything at all. This was the case for hundreds, if not thousands of people in Louisiana. Even personal injury lawyers in Lake Charles weren’t sure just how long the freeze would last.
Now that things are starting to open back up – including the courts – life is starting to get back to normal. However, the new normal is not going to be anything like what we were used to. Things are going to be done differently from now on. This includes the way we file and handle personal injury lawsuits. If you’ve been waiting to talk to a Lake Charles injury attorney about your accident, now is the time to call. You can enjoy your free initial consultation now and find out if you even have a case. Once you’re ready to proceed, your Lake Charles injury lawyer can explain how the process works.
The Courts Were Closed for Quite Some Time
Unless you’ve been asleep or hiding under a rock for the last several months, you know what COVID-19 did to our country. There was a virtual shut-down of just about every industry in the country. This included the court system. Whether we’re talking about the criminal or civil courts, things came to a standstill this Spring. With the fear of infection on everyone’s minds, the State did what it needed to do to protect its citizens.
During this time, people weren’t able to file personal injury lawsuits. The courts weren’t accepting new cases, especially for civil matters. They were dealing with emergency matters only. For example, the family courts were still hearing domestic violence matters. They wanted to make sure they protected the victims. They were also handling some custody matters. But when it came to the civil courts, there wasn’t a lot of activity at all.
The Courts Did Extend the Statute of Limitations During COVID
Once concern a lot of our clients had was about the statute of limitations. One of the first things we explain in our initial consultation is that there is a filing deadline. In Louisiana, this deadline is one (1) year for personal injury cases. This means you only have one (1) year to file your lawsuit, or it’ll be dismissed. If a client comes into our office with just a few weeks or months left on the statute period, we may not accept the case. Personal injury lawyers in Lake Charles need ample time to prepare their clients’ cases. Otherwise, they won’t have a chance of getting you the money you deserve.
So, it was good news to learn that the Louisian Supreme Court decided to extend the statute of limitations period during COVID. Louisiana is already one of the strictest states when it comes to the statute of limitations. Most states give anywhere from two to four years for civil cases. Louisiana carries a 1-year statute for just about any type of civil action. The court’s order to extend these deadlines was very important. Cases that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to be filed are still viable. If you’re not sure whether you’ve passed this deadline, you need to talk to one of our experienced injury lawyers right away.
Call and Talk to a Skilled Injury Attorney in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Whether you were injured before or during COVID, you need to talk to an injury lawyer in Louisiana. You may have a claim for damages. But the only way to know for sure is to have someone who knows the law review your case. Call and schedule your free initial consultation as soon as possible. You don’t want to learn that you missed your filing deadline and will have your case forever barred.
