What is a Statute of Limitations?
Posted on Dec 8, 2009 2:50pm PST
In personal injury law, "
statute of limitations" is a term that many people will come across whenever they plan to file a civil action. Statute of limitations is defined as the amount of time people have to file personal injury lawsuits after they have been injured by negligent parties.
In every state, the statute of limitations varies. If people do not file their lawsuits within the timeframe specified by their resident states' statute of limitations, they may lose their right to take legal action against negligent individuals.
For example, in the state of California, the law states that people have 2 years to file their personal injury lawsuits. This means that if a person is injured during an auto accident caused by another person's recklessness, he or she would have 2 years from the time of the accident to file a personal injury claim. If the injured person does not file a claim before the statute of limitations expires, the person will essentially forfeit his or her case.
Due to the fact the every state has differing timelines for filing injury claims, people will find it most advantageous to work with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer. A personal injury attorney can ensure that appropriate legal action is taken prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations for each case.
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