Kentucky Personal Injury Cases & Accident Info

Kentucky statutes online

This is where you’ll find Kentucky's laws. The website has details about how long you have to bring a case, monetary limits on personal injury cases (also known as damage caps), and other important information that you will need.

Kentucky Code Online

To read:

• Do I have a legal case after my accident?
• What is personal injury law?
• What are damage caps?

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Kentucky's car accident statutes of limitation

In Kentucky, you have only one year to bring a personal injury claim and two years to bring a property damage claim. That means you have to file your paperwork with the court before that one-year limitation is up.

Kentucky's Statute of Limitations

To read:

• What is the statute of limitations?
• The claims process and how long a personal injury lawsuit takes

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Hiring the right Kentucky lawyer

The first meeting with a personal injury attorney is normally free. (Note that other legal specialties, such as real estate law or intellectual property law, are different.) After that, lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means that they will receive a third of the eventual reward or settlement, plus whatever office expenses they incurred.

If your case ends up going to trial, the percentage could rise to 40% of the eventual reward or judgment. These numbers aren't set by law, so don't be surprised if your lawyer suggests something else.

Find a lawyer in Kentucky

Want to hire a lawyer and need some help? Check out some of our best articles:

• Choosing a personal injury attorney – interview questions
• Why might a personal injury lawyer deny my case?
• Preparing to meet with a personal injury attorney
• Negotiating lawyers fees - how do accident lawyers charge? Are there any hidden costs?
• When do you NOT need an attorney after an accident?
• Jurisdiction: Accidents that involve multiple states

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Cases of interest in Kentucky

These are some cases of legal significance that came out of the Kentucky courts:

• Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986): The United States Supreme Court held that the prosecutors' use of peremptory challenges (i.e., dismissing jurors without a valid cause) could not be done because of race. This violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteen Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Basically, an African American man was convicted of burglary by an entirely white jury after four African American were disqualified as jurors, and he had a bone to pick about the voir dire, which is the jury selection process.


• Padilla v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356 (2010): The Supreme Court decided that criminal defense attorneys must advise clients about the risks of deportation when they plead guilty to any charges against them. This extends from the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.


• Baze v. Rees, 553 U.S. 35 (2008): the "cocktail" used for lethal injection was upheld as constitutional and did not violate the Eighth Amendment's provision of cruel and unusual punishment. While the justices could not agree entirely, a plurality opinion was published that stated an isolated mishap alone did not render the process inhumane.

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Data and statistics

Here is some intriguing data about Kentucky:

• US Census: Kentucky
• Vital Statistics: Kentucky
• Kentucky Court of Justice: Statistics
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Data

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Kentucky law libraries

There are lots of issues you can solve without the help of a lawyer, surprisingly enough. If you don't know where to start, a law librarian can help you. They are usually legally trained, and they can help you both with texts or online research engines like LexisNexis or Westlaw.

• Kentucky Court of Justice: State Law Library
• University of Kentucky: Law Library
• Eastern Kentucky University: George T. Ross Law Library
• University of Louisville: Louis D. Brandeis School of Law Library
• Jefferson County Public Law Library
• Northern Kentucky University: Chase Law Library
• Western Kentucky University: Law Collection

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