Personal Injury FAQs

Navigating the complicated subject of personal injury claims often leads to many FAQs. There are many things to consider such as the type of injury and the type of insurance coverage. The team at Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman offers extensive experience and an unrivaled understanding of this subject. Though we are always here for you, there are several questions that many of our clients commonly have. If you still have any concerns, feel free to contact our team of attorneys.

Personal Injury Statute of Limitations

Mississippi’s law Title 15, Ch. 1, Sec. 15-1-49 states that the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is three years. This means injury victims have three years from the date of their injury to file a claim or they will most likely lose their right to pursue compensation.

If you claim is against a government worker or entity you have only 90 days to file a claim. Mississippi does recognize some exceptions to this law, as long as the claimant meets specific requirements. An injury attorney from our firm will be able to let you know if you qualify for an extension to the statute of limitations.

What Damages Can I Recover?

Generally, there are three categories of damages claimants can pursue compensation for in a personal injury claim, economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive. Economic and non-economic damages are both punitive damages, this means that their main purpose is to compensate the injured party for a specific loss. Together both economic and non-economic damages are meant to compensate the injured party for all losses they suffer. More specially, economic damages, also called special damages, compensate for financial losses associated with suffering an injury such as medical expenses and any missed days at work due to the inability to work.

Non-economic damages, also called general damages, compensate for the more abstract losses associated with an injury such as emotional distress and pain and suffering. Punitive damages, the last type of damages, differs from compensatory damages in that their main purpose is the punish the negligent party instead of compensating the injury victim. As such punitive damages are not often awarded and are usually reserved for cases where the defended knew their actions would cause harm but did them anyway.

Should I Hire an Attorney for My Personal Injury Case?

Unlike insurance companies, Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman are true advocates on your side, fighting for your best interest at every step. Insurance companies are looking out for their company’s best interest and bottom line, not what you need in order to recover well from your injuries.

On top of that, many people find that their injuries become more severe in the following days or weeks after they sustain them. If you accept an insurance settlement before you know how serious your injuries are, you may find your settlement amount no longer covers all your expenses. Our attorneys can fight to protect your rights and help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman helps those who have personal injury claims throughout Northern Mississippi including the cities of Southaven and Hernando as well as the counties of DeSoto, Marshall, Tate, and Tunica.