Statute of Limitations: A Brief Overview, History, and Significance 

A statute of limitations is a law that limits the time in which an individual can file a lawsuit against another party. This type of law seeks to serve certain public policy objectives. It is a time deadline that can prevent even the most meritorious case from going forward. 

How Does the Statute of Limitations Work? 

A statute of limitations is a rule that provides those with a legal cause of action a particular timeframe within which a lawsuit must be brought.  In other words, if the person with the cause of action wants to sue a liable person for damages, the lawsuit must be filed within a specified period.  

For example, if someone suffered severe injuries from a drunk driving accident in New York, that person will have a certain amount of time—normally, three years, but it can vary depending on the unique facts—to bring a lawsuit against the driver who caused the injuries. The statute of limitations that can apply to a case, or claims brought within a case, can vary though. An experienced attorney can identify the applicable statute of limitations, which can often be far shorter than three years, with even shorter notice of claim requirements as short as 90 days.    

Why Is the Statute of Limitations Important? 

Statutes of limitation exist to serve a number of policy objectives. For example, among other considerations, they can encourage the litigation of cases early on, when evidence remains available.  An experienced car accident attorney can identify the applicable statute of limitations and other time deadlines to ensure that all claims are timely filed 

To discover more about statute of limitations and how they could potentially impact your personal injury case, please do not hesitate to contact us today! Call (844) 444-4444.