Lawsuits are often the furthest thing from someone’s mind after they get hurt because of someone else’s actions or inactions. After getting hurt as a result of a car crash, product failure or other unusual scenario, people typically focus on their physical recovery. Then, after they resolve their medical issues, they may need to start worrying about their finances. Getting back to work after recovering from an injury can be a challenge, as can adapting one’s home life to the limitations of a serious injury.
Filing an insurance claim or considering a civil lawsuit will usually seem less important than dealing with the immediate aftereffects of injurious circumstances. What many people in Pennsylvania may not realize is that state law actually limits how long they have to take the driver at fault for their crash, the business that put out a defective product or a property owner whose negligence caused their injuries to civil court in pursuit of compensation. As a result, it is important to start exploring one’s legal options sooner rather than later.
The clock starts ticking when someone gets hurt
Under current Pennsylvania law, most personal injury lawsuits are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. People must file the lawsuit within two years of the incident that led to the injury, or they will lose the right to do so in most cases. Too often, those with viable grounds upon which to file a personal injury claim wait so long to learn about their rights that they can’t demand justice anymore. Waiting until the person affected meets some arbitrary goal, like finishing their rehabilitation, might put someone at risk of being unable to take legal action at all.
For most people who believe that they have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit, acting as soon as possible rather than waiting until the deadline for the statute of limitations is very close will typically be the smartest approach. Seeking legal guidance shortly after an injury occurs may help someone to more effectively evaluate their options and better ensure they don’t lose their rights due to the state’s statute of limitations restrictions.