When another person came from a side road and blew through a red light, you barely had time to react. One moment, you were just passing through the intersection. The next, you were calling 911 to get the emergency team to your location as soon as possible.

The other driver was fortunate in your case and survived, but you suffered injuries because of their behavior. They didn’t follow the simple traffic laws that would have prevented you from getting hurt, leaving you with serious injuries that you did not deserve.

When you’re hurt in a collision, you do have the option of making a claim against an at-fault driver. You may decide to file an insurance claim or sue them directly, depending on the circumstances.

How Long Do You Have To Decide If You Want To Make A Claim?

In Alabama, you will need to make your claim before the statute of limitations runs out. Alabama states that you have two years to make a personal injury claim from the date of your collision. There are exceptions, though, that you should know about.

One exception is for those under the age of 18 at the time of a crash. For minors, the two-year period doesn’t start until they turn 19. So, they get extra time to make a claim once they reach adulthood.

Others may get more time if they discover a problem they didn’t know about before. For example, you may not have known you had a bone spur develop from the crash until a few years later. At that time, you might have up to six months to make a claim because of the recent discovery.

The law regarding the time limits to make your claim seem straightforward, but they can get a little tricky depending on what has happened. That’s why it’s important for you to make a claim as soon as you can. If you think you’ve waited too long, it’s still beneficial to check with someone familiar with the statute of limitations and state law to be sure you don’t still have the option to make a claim.