Overview of the Statute of Limitations in California

How Long Do I Have to File My Personal Injury Lawsuit?

If you have suffered a serious injury through no fault of your own, you may have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you will have a limited amount of time in which you can seek compensation. In California, all civil claims are subject to a statute of limitations – and once the statute of limitations “runs out,” your legal claim is no longer valid.

For this reason, it is highly recommended that you act quickly after an accident. As soon as you consult a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer at Biren Law Group, we can get to work on your case. We are fully aware of how the statute of limitations applies to your case, and we will work diligently to ensure that your case is filed before it expires. Call us now to take the first step in your personal injury case.

Different Claims Have Different Statutes of Limitations

In the state of California, the statute of limitations will vary from case to case, depending on the type of legal claim. This means that you may have as little as six months or as long as four years to file your case.

Here are the statutes of limitations for some of the most common types of civil claims:

• Personal Injury: two years from the date the injury occurred
• Property damage: three years from the date the damage occurred
• Medical malpractice: three years from the date the injury occurred
• Libel or slander: one year from the date of the incident
• Breach of written contract: four years from the date of the incident
• Breach of oral contract: two years from the date of the incident
• Government agency claims: six months from the date of the incident

What if the Injury Wasn’t Discovered Right Away?

In most personal injury cases, the clock will start ticking on the statute of limitations from the moment you suffer an injury (i.e. the “date of harm”). However, there is one very important exception to this rule. If it was not reasonably possible for you to discover that you were injured until months or even years later, the statute of limitations would not start running until the date of discovery. Or, in other cases, it would start on the date when the injury should have reasonably been discovered.

Contact Biren Law Group to Get Started on Your Case

If you have been injured, time is of the essence. Contact our personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles to discuss your case in a free, no-risk consultation! Not only have we recovered more than $250 million in compensation on behalf of our clients, but we are backed by decades of experience. For this reason, you can trust that your case will be in capable hands. Call Biren Law Group to get started on your case!

Ready to get started? Call Biren Law Group now to schedule your free case evaluation.