It can be a major pain and inconvenience when you’ve been injured at sea. However, you can overcome some of these difficulties by filing a maritime claim for compensation. The only issue is that you have a limited amount of time (statute of limitations) before you can no longer seek a settlement.
This is why you should try to file your maritime claim as soon as possible. If you delay filing, this can leave you without compensation to help you deal with expensive damages.
If you file before the statute of limitations runs out, you can receive fair compensation. There are some stipulations to the statute of limitations, especially since you are traveling outside of national borders. You can learn about these details with the help of experienced attorneys at Lipcon.
What Is The Statute Of Limitations?
The statute of limitations is a set time limit to file a personal injury claim. This means that you have to file your claim within a certain amount of time after the accident occurred. The statute of limitations can be extended in some cases.
However, it’s important to file your personal injury claim as soon as possible. If you wait too long, you might not be able to get any compensation for your injuries.
In Florida, the statute of limitations is three years for waters that are governed by the Admiralty law, which protects anyone who was injured at sea. It is four years for boating accidents and six months to one year for cruise ship accidents.
Situations When The Statute Of Limitations Can Be Extended
While the statute of limitations in Florida provides a specific period of time before your claim for compensation expires, there are ways that it can be extended. According to Florida law, you may be able to extend your statute of limitations for the following reasons:
You Are At Sea
When you’re traveling at sea, you may need help finding the right court to file your personal injury claim. This is because every state has its own set of courts, and each court has its own jurisdiction. Additionally, the statute of limitations might be extended if the defendant is not located in the same state as you.
If this happens, you have to file a legal complaint with the court that has jurisdiction over the case. Your attorney will also have to serve the defendant with a copy of the legal complaint. It’s important to file your personal injury claim as soon as possible because if you wait too long, you might not be able to get any compensation for your injuries.
You Have Not Yet Returned Home
If you’re out of the country when you get injured, you might have to wait a while before you can file a personal injury claim. This is because you have to return home to file the claim. The statute of limitations might be extended because you still need to return home to file a claim.
Additionally, if the defendant is not located in your home state, you have to file a legal complaint with the court that has jurisdiction over the case.
You Didn’t Discover The Injury Until Later
One reason the statute of limitations might be extended is if you didn’t immediately discover your injury. For example, if you were in a boat collision and didn’t realize you had a head injury until a few days later, you would have to file a claim when you discovered the injury, not when the accident occurred.
Why You Should File As Soon As Possible
Instead of delaying your maritime claim, you should do your best to speak to a maritime lawyer and file immediately. You should do this for the following reasons:
The Evidence Can Get Old
The longer you wait, the harder it will be for your attorney to investigate your accident and find available evidence.
Eyewitnesses Can Forget
Anyone who witnessed your accident may forget critical details as time passes by.
Pain And Suffering
When you suffer from anxiety, depression, grief, or other forms of pain and suffering, you should let your attorney know. If you don’t keep a record, you might leave out the details of what happened when updating your attorney.
Speak to a reliable maritime lawyer after you’ve been injured. See a doctor for a medical examination then let your attorney know how you were harmed while at sea.
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