Statute of Limitations Explained
Posted October 28th, 2013 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Personal Injury.
What Does It Mean?
Statute of limitations is a law that gives an individual a limited timeframe to file a claim against another party who had caused that individual an injury. Once the time limit has passed, the person is unable to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for his/her injuries.
For example, Larry was injured in an auto accident in September 2012. Since New Jersey’s statute of limitations in personal injury cases is two years, Larry is able to file a lawsuit against the other driver until September 2014. If he files the case any later, then it no longer meets the statute of limitations and will be dismissed.
However, not all personal injury cases fall in this time limit. It all depends on the circumstances surrounding the case. Whereas vehicle accident cases are two years, a defamation suit’s statute is only one year. The statute also changes from state to state and can become quite confusing. Especially if you try to file the claim on your own. Here is a handy list to find out where the statute ends.
To make sure your case is filed in a timely manner, the best advice we can give is to contact our offices for a free consultation. We’ll let you know if your claim still falls under the statute of limitations.
