What is a statute of limitations in a personal injury case?
You should know that this is a complex area of the law and depends on many factors. Nonetheless, in general terms, a statute of limitations controls how long you have to file your lawsuit before that right expires. If you fail to file your case with the court within the applicable statute of limitations, you will not be able to file the claim at all unless some unusual circumstances apply. In California, the time period for filing a personal injury lawsuit is generally two years from the date that the injury happened. Again, the facts of your specific case will govern whether this rule applies to your case. For example, the statute of limitations may be longer, significantly shorter, or have other peculiarities depending on whether your claim is against a governmental entity, a healthcare provider and/or whether you are a minor or legally incompetent. There are many other variables. These complexities are what lawyers are trained to handle. Again, if you miss your statute of limitation
