A Lawyer and Chartered Insurer, Jeffery Koranteng, has clarified the timeframe within which individuals injured in a road accident can file a claim with their insurance company.
According to him, those injured have a three-year window to submit their claims, while minors and individuals with disabilities have up to six years.
During an appearance on The Law, he elaborated on the reasons behind these limitations, emphasizing that victims often face challenges making immediate claims due to injuries sustained during accidents.
Mr Koranteng explained, “So within three years after the loss, if you have suffered an injury and then you are hospitalized or anything, I mean…, you are not able to report. You still have within three years within which to bring the claim.”
He stated that “If somebody is a child or somebody is of an unsound mind, we call that a disability in law. So even though there’s a three-year period within which you can bring the claim, if you’re under some form of disability, then the period of limitation does not run until you are out of that disability.”
“So if you were a child, for example, that means you are below the age of 18, so that that period of limitation, which is three years, does not start to run until you come out of that disability. And if you’re out of unsound mind, that same information applies to you,” he noted.
Concerning property damage, Mr Koranteng noted that individuals have a six-year timeframe to make a claim for damages resulting from the accident.
However, he cautioned accident victims against actions that could lead to the rejection of their insurance claims.
He advised drivers to obtain the appropriate licenses for their vehicles and emphasized the importance of reporting accidents promptly to the police.
“I have a B license and I’m driving a vehicle that requires a C license, I’ve not been trained or certified by DVLA to drive that kind of vehicle.”
Additionally, he urged victims to document the scene with photos and videos and report the issue to their insurance company before making any repairs, as fixing the vehicle without approval could complicate the assessment of the extent of damage.