• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Law Call - Reeves & Mestayer

Reeves & Mestayer | Personal Injury Attorneys in Biloxi

Biloxi Attorneys

  • Home
  • About
    • Legal Links
  • Attorney Profiles
    • Jim Reeves
    • Matthew G. Mestayer
    • Mark Lumpkin (of Counsel)
  • Practice Areas
    • Termite Litigation Lawyers
    • Personal Injury
      • Motor Vehicle Accidents
        • Truck Accidents
        • Motorcycle Accidents
          • Gulfport Motorcycle Accident
          • Pascagoula Motorcycle Accidents
        • Drunk Driving Accidents
      • Pedestrian Injuries
      • Bicycle Accidents
      • Amputation Injuries
      • Burn Injuries
    • Cases On Behalf Of Injured Veterans
    • Wrongful Death
      • Gulfport Wrongful Death
    • Product Liability
      • Zantac Litigation
      • Elmiron Litigation
      • Taxotere Lawsuit Attorneys
      • Valsartan Lawsuit Attorneys
    • Maritime Law and Offshore Injuries
    • Catastrophic Injuries
      • Spinal Cord Injury
      • Traumatic Brain Injury
    • Premises Liability
      • Slip and Fall Accident Claims
      • Negligent Security Claims
    • Workers’ Compensation
      • Construction Accidents
    • Consumer Fraud
      • Corporate Fraud
      • Finance Fraud
    • Bad Faith Insurance
      • Other Insurance Fraud Cases
    • Medical Malpractice
      • Types Of Medical Malpractice
      • Medical Malpractice Damages
    • Whistleblower Claims
    • Nursing Home Abuse
    • Business Interruption Claims
    • Surrounding Areas
      • Gulfport Car Accident
      • Pascagoula Car Accident
      • Pascagoula Pedestrian Accident
  • Results
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • Reviews
    • Reeves & Mestayer – Client Video Testimonials
  • Contact
Free Consultation 1-855-558-2977

We have recovered over
$1 Billion
in compensation for our clients

Aggressive
We are persistent, proactive, and ready to fight for our clients' interests

Ethical
While we are aggressive, we always play by the rules and honesty is the foundation of what we do

Experience
We have extensive courtroom and trial experience putting our clients in the best position for success

Reeves & Mestayer is rated
Highest in Legal Abilities & Ethics
by Martindale-Hubbell

Reeves & Mestayer is listed as
One of the Preeminent Law Firms
in America

Reeves & Mestayer has obtained
Record Verdicts & Settlements
for their clients

BP oil spill class action recovery of
$70 Million
We handled thousands of BP claims throughout the Gulf South and was named by the Court to serve on the Economic and Property Damages Committee in the Multi-District Litigation

Defective product recovery of
$55 Million
After being injured or killed by defective tires, we fought to get 75 passengers and drivers the settlement they deserved

Car accident settlement of
$12 Million
After 5 people were killed in a multi-vehicle collision, their families turned to Reeves & Mestayer for help. We fought to get them the settlement they deserved

State of Mississippi tobacco litigation
$13 Million
Reeves & Mestayer law firm gained this verdict for the State of Mississippi to correct wrongful calculations related to the Mississippi tobacco settlement

Defective Product Settlement of
$1 Billion
We fought for 14,000 plaintiffs and 1,000 defendants hurt by Chinese-manufactured drywall products

November 17, 2020 By Jim Reeves

Can Victims Sue the Government Over a Car Accident Injury?

Car accidents are complicated enough, but when you get the government involved, the complexity of your case increases tenfold. It should come as no surprise that any personal injury case involving a local or federal government entity requires careful handling and legal expertise, given the variety of laws put in place to protect government entities from unnecessary lawsuits.

If you have been injured in a car accident and you believe the government is liable for your injuries, there is no time to waste. Contact Reeves & Mestayer at 228-374-5151 to discuss your options and set up a consultation.

Liability in a Car Accident

When you seek compensation after a car accident, you must be able to prove that the other party was liable for the accident. Your attorney will use a range of tools to gather evidence, then use that evidence to support your claim. When the liable party is a regular person—rather than a government entity—the process is fairly straightforward and simple.

The attorney connects with the insurance company and asks for an appropriate settlement amount. From there, the two parties negotiate and provide evidence supporting their side until they agree on a settlement amount. If no settlement can be reached, the case proceeds to court.

The process is not quite as simple when a government entity or someone representing a government entity is liable for your injuries.

When a Government Entity is Liable

Consider this scenario. You’re driving and you approach an intersection where you have a green light. You check as you approach the intersection, and it seems safe to go. As you cross the intersection, a driver coming the opposite direction flies through on a left turn, not slowing down at all or checking if the intersection is clear. They hit you on your side and the car rolls over.

After the accident, you find out that the person driving was on government business in a government vehicle. Now, not only do you have injuries and property damage to take care of, you have to do so while going up against a government agency and all the legal hurdles that involves.

When a government agency is liable for your accident, it is important to know exactly who holds liability. This may mean having your attorney conduct extensive research to figure out all the liable parties. Statute of limitation laws vary, so failing to do your research can quite literally cost you your entire case.

Generally, if you suffer an injury caused by someone else’s negligence in Mississippi, you have three years to bring a personal injury claim against them. This is not the case if the government is involved. If the liable party is a Mississippi governmental entity, you have just one year. On a federal level, you have two years.

The Importance of Hiring an Attorney

The issues with a claim against the government extend beyond the statute of limitations. In many cases, there are laws prohibiting certain types of claims or limiting the payout you can receive. That’s why it’s crucial to work with a Mississippi personal injury attorney who knows how to handle claims against government agencies. Your attorney will understand how much time you have to move forward and act accordingly to gather evidence and build a solid case against the appropriate parties.

Your attorney will also know which limitations affect your case and avoid missteps that could cause delays or dismissals. Claims against the government usually work under a different set of rules than claims against private parties, and without an attorney who understands these rules, your claim could be over before it is even considered.

So yes, you may be able to seek compensation from the government if they are responsible for the injuries you suffered in a car accident. However, whether or not you actually get compensation depends largely on the circumstances of your case and how skilled your attorney is with these types of claims.

Find Out How Reeves & Mestayer Can Help

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a car accident, hiring a personal injury attorney should be your top priority. The team at Reeves & Mestayer is here to support you every step of the way and fight for the compensation you deserve. Set up a consultation now by calling us at 228-374-5151 or contacting us online.

Share this:

Filed Under: Personal Injury Tagged With: government, injury

Primary Sidebar

Verdicts & Settlements

$156M
Settlement in a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of pensioners of the Singing River Pension Plan.
$55M
On behalf of 75 passengers and drivers injured or killed in tire defect/rollover cases
$22M
On behalf of seven investors defrauded of their life savings
$12M
On behalf of five people killed in a multi-vehicle collision
$10M
On behalf of children and teachers poisoned by defective spray roofing
$5.5M
Verdict on behalf of a woman who was abducted and raped in a K-Mart parking lot because the store provided no security
$6M
Settlement on behalf of an orthopedic surgeon killed during a scuba diving excursion. Believed to be a record settlement for a dive accident in the Bahamas.
$1M
Verdict on behalf of a women who did not receive timely treatment and died as a result of her injuries.

Archives

  • May 2022 (1)
  • April 2022 (1)
  • March 2022 (2)
  • February 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (1)
  • December 2021 (3)
  • November 2021 (2)
  • October 2021 (2)
  • August 2021 (1)
  • July 2021 (1)
  • June 2021 (3)
  • May 2021 (1)
  • April 2021 (3)
  • March 2021 (2)
  • January 2021 (1)
  • December 2020 (1)
  • November 2020 (2)
  • October 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (3)
  • August 2020 (1)
  • July 2020 (3)
  • June 2020 (1)
  • May 2020 (3)
  • April 2020 (1)
  • February 2020 (1)
  • December 2019 (2)
  • November 2019 (1)
  • October 2019 (1)
  • August 2019 (1)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • June 2019 (1)
  • April 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (1)
  • February 2019 (1)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (1)
  • May 2017 (3)
  • September 2016 (1)
  • June 2016 (2)
  • April 2016 (1)
  • February 2016 (1)
  • January 2016 (2)
  • December 2015 (1)
  • October 2015 (1)
  • September 2015 (1)
  • August 2015 (1)
  • April 2015 (1)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (1)
  • January 2015 (1)
  • December 2014 (4)
  • November 2014 (3)
  • October 2014 (1)
  • March 2014 (8)
  • January 2014 (1)

Blog Categories

  • Biloxi Attorneys Law Blog (34)
  • car accident (9)
  • community (1)
  • Personal Injury (33)
  • product liability (1)
  • Product Recalls (1)
  • real estate (1)
  • workers compensation (3)

Footer

Free Case Evaluation

  • * ~ Required fields
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Read the Reeves & Mestayer Blog
Review Us
Reeves & Mestayer

Reeves & Mestayer, PLLC
160 Main St
Biloxi, MS 39530

Toll free: 1-855-558-2977
Phone: 228-374-5151
Fax: 228-374-6630

  • Home
  • About
  • Attorney Profiles
  • Practice Areas
  • Results
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • Contact

Copyright © 2022 Biloxi Personal Injury Lawyers Reeves & Mestayer & Sundown Legal Marketing · All Rights Reserved