After a serious car crash, many immigrants and visitors in the U.S. are hesitant to speak to an attorney and file a personal injury claim. For some, this means returning home country without filing a claim, perhaps because their green card or student visa expires or because their vacation is over. That raises an interesting question: can you still make a car crash claim in the U.S. if you return to your home country?
Making a Claim
In the U.S., your immigration status has no bearing on your ability to pursue justice. If you were injured in the U.S. due to someone else’s negligence, you can file a claim, even after you’ve left the country. However, the nature of the legal process can be extremely complicated, which is why you should consider hiring a personal injury attorney with experience handling immigration-related cases.
The biggest hurdle in your ability to pursue damages as an immigrant is making your claim before the statute of limitations expires.
The Clock is Ticking
In Florida, you typically have four years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury claim. If you wait longer than that, your legal standing expires, and you may be unable to pursue damages at all.
Note that the longer you wait, the more difficult it may be to prove that your damages directly resulted from the crash. That’s just one more reason why you should ensure you get all the proper documentation immediately after an accident. Once those reports are written, they verify your injuries and make it much easier to pursue damages when filing a claim.
If you were involved in a car crash and you’re worried about how your immigration status might impact your case, you should speak to an attorney. If you’d like to schedule a case consultation with an experienced Florida & New York immigrant personal injury attorney from The Sekou Clarke Law Group, please don’t hesitate to send us an email or call (407) 269-8774.