Statute of Limitations in Irvine Personal Injury Cases

When working within Irvine’s complex and nuanced judiciary system, there are many factors that affect how your personal injury case is processed. Rules are set in place to ensure fairness and guard against bias. When filing a personal injury claim, one of the most important rules to acknowledge is the statute of limitations.

If you have decided to file a personal injury claim in Irvine, you would be wise to speak with an experienced Irvine attorney and discuss the statute of limitations in an Irvine personal injury case. The sooner you speak with an attorney, the sooner they will be able to act on your behalf, and see that you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Purpose of a Statute of Limitations

The purpose of the statute of limitations is to promote fairness. What it means is that a person is expected to file a personal injury claim within a specific time frame of the injury for the claim to be valid.

This timeframe varies depending on the type of injury. However, it is always in a person’s best interest to file a claim as soon as possible, not only to beat the statute, but to preserve evidence and memory of the incident.

In personal injury cases, statutes of limitations exist to protect against the wear of time on witness memory and evidence. This enforces the integrity of the legal system and ideally allows the system to run more smoothly.

Specifics

In the California courts, statutes of limitations vary depending on the type of injury. In general, a personal injury lawsuit can only be filed within two years of sustaining the injury or, if the person did not discover the injury immediately, one year after the injury was discovered.

For property damage, a lawsuit can be filed up to three years from when the damage was sustained. Claims against a government agency are expected to be filed within six months in most cases, one year in others.

In the cases of some criminal actions, such as murder or embezzlement, there is no statute of limitations, for other criminal actions, the statute depends on their maximum penalties.

Contacting an Attorney

The aftermath of a personal injury is often disorienting. However, it is imperative that you act as quickly as possible, to ensure you receive just compensation. Property loss, medical bills, therapy, and emotional anguish are all serious stressors that create financial burden and deserve recompense.

Before it is too late, you should seek a personal injury attorney’s help so you may better navigate the legal system and obtain what is rightfully yours. An experienced Irvine attorney, one knowledgeable of state, local and federal law, can see that your case is heard and processed in a timely manner.

If you or a loved one would like to file a personal injury claim, we encourage you to act quickly and speak to an experienced injury lawyer as quickly as possible. The faster you act, the faster you will be able to seek compensation so you may move forward in your life. Do not let the statute of limitations in an Irvine personal injury case run out on you.