When an individual is injured in an accident and someone else is at fault, then the individual who suffers harm may be entitled to financial compensation for his or her injuries.
This holds true regardless of what kind of accident occurs.
After an accident, though, an individual may not always suffer harm.
Worse yet, individuals may not always suffer symptoms immediately, even though they have sustained some form of injury.
When this is the case, an individual may think he or she is fine only to find out later that he or she actually suffered an injury.
Though there is a time limit for filing personal injury lawsuits, the time limit is relatively long.
Many states give individuals two years or longer to file their claims, so people who suffer delayed injury symptoms may still be able to gain financial compensation for their injuries.
The statute of limitations applies to all personal injury cases, including general negligence cases, medical malpractice, auto accidents, product liability, and premises liability.
Additionally, these statutes of limitations allow individuals to file a lawsuit at any time within the allotted time period.
It is important to note that not all states have the same statutes of limitations.
Some states may offer up to six years to file a case while others may allow as little as one year.
Additionally, some states have different statutes of limitations for different personal injury cases.
This means, for instance, that an individual could have more time to file a medical malpractice lawsuit than to file a product liability lawsuit.
Regardless of how long after an accident an individual has to file a personal injury lawsuit, the person making the claim is advised to seek an experienced lawyer to help him or her with the case.