“Two years.”
This might be the most important thing you ever hear as it pertains to your claims for personal injury. This is because Alaska requires you to commence almost any lawsuit for personal injuries within two years from the date it happened or, at least, the date you discover your injuries.
Yet this is not the only deadline that, if missed, can torpedo your chances at receiving monies for your injuries, no matter how severe. This is why it is so important to retain Attorneys In Anchorage Alaska to assist you in prosecuting your case.
Skilled attorneys know that there are certain things you simply have to do, and usually within a certain amount of time.
In addition to timely filing your case (which, if you do not, you are not likely ever going to receive any money), there are going to be time requirements for many other things. For example, after you file your complaint, there is going to be a certain of time by which you must serve (or deliver) the complaint to the defendant(s). If you fail to meet that deadline, your case may be dismissed.
If the defendant does not answer the complaint, there is likely a certain amount of time by which you must move to hold them in default. If you miss this deadline, your case may be dismissed.
If the defendant answers and asserts counterclaims, blaming you for the incident, you have a certain amount of time by which you must reply to those counterclaims.
After the complaint, answer and reply to counterclaims, there will be deadlines by which you must serve and respond to discovery demands, or the papers exchanged between the parties by which written information is learned. Your failure to comply with these deadlines could lead to dismissal of your claims.
After written discovery is complete, there will be deadlines to conduct depositions, where oral questions are asked of each party. If you fail to appear for your deposition by the required deadline, this could also lead to dismissal of your claims.
After discovery, there will be deadlines by which certain motions—or written papers asking the court for certain relief—must be filed and responded to. The failure to meet these deadlines could also have negative implications, including the dismissal of your case.
And then there is the trial. Be sure that with jurors involved and busy court calendars, you must comply with all scheduled deadlines. Your witnesses (eyewitnesses, doctors, etc.) must be available when the court asks. A court is likely to dismiss your case if you do not comply.
As you can see, without any discussion of the merits of your case, there is still a ton to know. As a non-attorney, it is difficult to have all of this knowledge. Trained attorneys have been through law school and other learnings and, as a result, are better able to ensure you are in compliance with all of the above, something that is likely to bring you the award you deserve.
