Statute of limitations laws varies from state to state. If you received a personal injury, your claim for compensation will no longer be available if you miss the deadline to file. You are only given a limited amount of time by the courts to sue for a personal injury. While some states may allow a claimant as many as three years to file a lawsuit, others only give you up to a year to make a claim. Depending on the type of case you file a claim for, there are more specific deadlines.
Consulting an Attorney
The need to hire an attorney who is experienced in personal injury is vital when navigating the specifics around timeframes and the statute of limitations. Legal counsel will help you to figure out the statute of limitations and the period to which the lawsuit can be filed. In order to meet the time frame mandated by law, hiring an attorney, like a personal injury lawyer Salt Lake City UT trusts, that can correctly file your lawsuit will help to stay on track for your personal injury claim.
When Does the Clock Start Ticking?
Essentially, once the injury or wrong doing occurs, the statute of limitations generally starts. For example, if a person is in a collision and sustains injuries as a result, the statute of limitations begins on the date that the car accident occurred. If a person was injured and is unaware that they were hurt until a later date, the statute of limitations would not start on the date the accident occurred. The statute of limitation would not start until the injured were aware that they had been hurt in the accident. For example, if in the car accident, the person later presented with back issues, they would not know there was a problem until that date. The caveat to this is if the person realistically should have known whether or not they had sustained an injury by a certain date, the statute of limitations would start from that point.
Speaking with an attorney for an initial consultation regarding the statute of limitations and the details of your personal injury often comes at no cost to you. It is common practice for attorneys not to charge for their first consultation when discussing whether or not a claimant has an appropriate lawsuit. Because of this, scheduling to meet with an attorney is at no financial risk to you and is a good way to bring forth your case and receive trusted legal advice regarding the statute of limitations.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Rasmussen & Miner for their insight into personal injury practice.