Personal Injuries
Do you believe that you need to file a personal injury lawsuit after getting hurt in an accident? You may need to look up the statute of limitations in your state.

What is a Statute of Limitations?

A statute of limitations refers to a law that specifies how long an individual can have to file any kind of civil lawsuit. A civil lawsuit is brought before the court whenever an individual feels he or she has received a personal injury from another person.

Every state has different deadlines for different cases, and so does the federal government. No matter which state you reside in, the same statute of limitations will apply to almost all kinds of personal injury cases, especially when there's negligence involved.

For instance, a victim of car accidents, dog bites, slip and fall injuries, and others can file lawsuits against the guilty, provided that he/she does so within the given deadline of the state. However, before filing a personal injury lawsuit, you need to know that a single case can have multiple claims, each of which will be subject to yet another set of deadlines.

Let's illustrate this rule with an example. Suppose you want to sue a car driver or a motorist who has caused you physical injuries and some property damage, such as damages to your vehicle. In this case, you may want to file a lawsuit against the faulty driver in two different claims -
  • a) personal harm and 
  • b) property damage. 

Then you will have two different deadlines for each of these cases.

Again, the deadlines will depend upon your particular state. For instance, in California, you can sue the guilty for personal injury within 2 years and for property damage within 3 years. And in Georgia, you will have 2 years to sue over your physical injuries and 4 years to file a lawsuit against your property damage. In that case, taking the help of experienced personal injury lawyers would be a good idea.
When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer (and When You Should Not)?

Although most people can handle minor injury claims themselves to save those extra bucks on legal fees, you can, however, hire an attorney to file a strong lawsuit to claim major personal injuries from car accidents. Consulting a lawyer will be worthwhile to get an advice and mental support in severe cases.


Here are a few of the many cases that would need the right consultation from an attorney.

  • You have received major injuries, even though they may have seemed minor at first. Minor injuries can turn into major ones if you don't treat them appropriately. Professional personal injury lawyers may advise you to wait until your doctor can identify the extent of the injury. He/she will know the right time to claim for your physical damages.
  • Avoid hiring an attorney when there are very minor or absolutely no personal injuries caused in a car accident.
  • When it's a no-fault case (when the accident is clearly not anybody's fault), try managing the case yourself unless you've received severe physical injuries.
If you are not confident enough to negotiate with the insurance agent, consider taking the advice of knowledgeable personal injury lawyers. If you are confident to negotiate the settlement with the adjuster, go ahead and represent yourself after gathering enough evidence to prove your point. But make sure you have enough knowledge about the legal processes.