WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE INJURED BY AN EMPLOYEE OF THE STATE, CITY, COUNTY OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
When a person is injured by a private citizen, they have the right to file a civil lawsuit seeking damages for lost wages, medical bills and more. There is a statute of limitations that is in effect. The clock starts ticking from the moment of the injury or accident. In many cases, the statute of limitation is two years.
When a person is injured by an employee of the state, city, county or federal government who is acting in the scope of their duties at the time of the accident, the victim has the same right to file a lawsuit as they do if the accident involved a private citizen. The difference is something called ante-litem.
Any person who is injured by a government employee has the right to seek damages in court. Before that can happen, however, the victim must give the government office that employs the at-fault party notice that they intend to sue. The government office or agency then has a right to either deny or accept the notice, particularly at the federal level.
If a victim fails to first notify the government agency of their intent to sue and goes ahead with the filing of a civil suit, the case may be dismissed by a judge before it is heard, if its filing is accepted at all.
If you have been injured in Atlanta, an experienced personal injury attorney can assist you in ensuring that you follow the proper procedures in filing a lawsuit seeking damages.
