As you might already know, each state comes with its own laws and particular regulations. This is why, when you’re involved in an accident in another state, your local attorney might not be able to help you.
Therefore, it is important to know how to deal with injuries, accidents, or any other type of personal injury while you’re traveling through the country. Today we’ll take a closer look at the laws of Mississippi as it’s one of the most popular locations.
Main Things to Consider
In terms of personal injury or accidents, the things that one has to consider are time limits, compensation limits, and the rules imposed by the government over personal injury. There are a couple more aspects, but these are the most important.
A reputed personal injury law firm such as Smith & Holder, PLLC will kindly provide you with any information that you need regarding injuries and accidents in Mississippi. You can easily rely on such firms if you need quick and trustworthy advice!
Time Limits
If you already know a couple of things about personal injury, then you’re probably aware of something known as the statute of limitations. These are basically some laws that dictate the time limit in which you must file a lawsuit against any opposing party.
When it comes to Mississippi, one must file a lawsuit no more than three years after the incident. Lawsuits filed after this period are often ignored/dismissed – regardless of their magnitude.
Three years is more than enough time to compile a decent case or, if an accidental injury has unforeseen complications, to get compensation for those further injuries/losses caused by the said accident.
Fault Peculiarities
In some cases, both parties are responsible for an accident. As such, the blame can’t be put onto a single person – instead, they both share it, so to speak. If, for example, you file a claim against someone and it’s discovered that you are partially to blame for the injury, you may receive less compensation than anticipated.
Mississippi’s laws, for instance, come with a pure comparative negligence law. Basically, this law implies that the injured party will receive the compensation they are due, but without the amount that is considered to represent their fault.
Compensation Limits
Depending on the state you live in, you may discover that there’s a limit on how much you can be awarded after a personal injury case is solved. The most common types of damages that are capped are the non-economic ones, for obvious reasons – pain and suffering damages, for instance, can be estimated and interpreted differently by the different parties.
Fortunately, Mississippi doesn’t have such limits and if you’re entitled to certain damages, you will receive them in full.
Injuries Caused by Pets/Animals
In certain states, an owner cannot be held fully responsible for an injury that their pet caused. For example, if a dog had been provoked and bit someone, some states would still hold their owner liable.
The same happens in Mississippi. Due to something called the One Bite Rule, the owner of the animal is fully responsible for their accounts. The main argument here is that, if the owner knew (or they should have known) that the animal could behave aggressively, then they have no excuse and are at fault.
Injury Claims Against Entities/States/Counties/Cities
Naturally, there are also scenarios where you’ll have to file a claim against one of Mississippi’s entities – governmental employees, agencies, city councils, and so on. In this case, you’ll have to follow various other compliance regulations – however, there’s only one that you really need to know about!
If you’ve been subject to the negligence of any of the above-mentioned entities, then you have only 90 days to file a claim against them. If this period expires, your right to file a claim becomes null and void, so to speak.
The Basics
Last but not least, when it comes to the basics guidelines on how to deal with accidents and injuries, Mississippi can be treated just like any other state. The very first thing you should do is contact a reputable personal injury law firm that can get you up to date with any law peculiarities or other such specifics.
Then, the accident itself must be treated as usual – gather as much evidence as possible and don’t leave anything to chance. Of course, if you require medical assistance, make sure to give yourself enough time to recover.
If you’re accompanied by a good lawyer, you shouldn’t have to worry about anything else other than understanding how personal injury works in Mississippi!
Differences Between States
It’s extremely important to know which rules you are subject to when you experience a personal injury. If you’re not familiar with the country’s stance on shared fault, for example, you may end up having to pay for medical expenses with your own money – rather than relying on damage claims.
Before filing a claim, it is recommended to know which situations apply to your particular case and if it’s possible for you to win your case – whilst taking into account the laws and regulations of the specific state.
As mentioned above, relying on a professional lawyer should prevent you from missing any important information during your personal injury case.
The Bottom Line
Accidents and injuries can happen at any time/moment in your life. Unfortunately, you can’t plan for them or avoid them, even if you’re on holiday in Mississippi! This is why regardless of the state you plan to visit for any prolonged period, you should get somewhat familiar with its personal injury laws.
A ten-minute read-through of the basic laws and regulations of this particular state that this article explored will teach you everything you need to know if you’re ever injured there.
In the end, don’t expect a law or regulation that’s deemed normal in your state to apply in other states. Laws are different throughout the world and you should never take anyone for granted!
