If someone causes an accident resulting in an injury to you – whether from a car collision, a defective product, or an unsafe sidewalk – you should be able to recover for your injuries. However, personal injury law is complex, and insurance companies often resist paying what is rightly owed. We, at Brown Kiely LLP, will fight to maximize your recovery, and will stand with you shoulder-to-shoulder to help you navigate the difficult questions involved with your case. For an immediate consultation with personal injury lawyers Maryland has to offer, call Brown Kiely LLP now.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?
After an injury, the most important thing in someone’s mind is often related to their recovery. However, if the injury was caused by another person’s actions, the victim should also be thinking about the possibility of filing a personal injury claim for damages. This raises the very important question of how long someone has to file a claim. If you wait too long, you will generally not be allowed to file anymore. At the same time, attempting to recover compensation, while still trying to recover, can be a huge burden. The legal concept that handles this matter is called the statute of limitations and this guide will explain everything you need to know about it. If you have further questions, you can call the personal injury lawyers Maryland residents trust at Brown Kiely LLP.
The Statute of Limitations
You can think of the statute of limitations as your time limit to file a lawsuit. If you attempt to file after it has expired, the case will typically be thrown out. The time limit starts counting down when the injury happens, or as soon as it is discovered, and usually lasts two or three years. The state you are in will determine the exact statute of limitations you have for a personal injury case, and there may be specific circumstances that apply. Other types of lawsuits have different statute of limitations, however. These are the only states which have a statute of limitations longer or shorter than two or three years:
If you do not live in one of these 10 states, you will likely have two years to file a claim. Again, it is advisable to reach out to Marylands’ personal injury lawyers to confirm the statute for your own case.
The Discovery Rule
The discovery rule is the one major exception to the statute of limitations. It delays the statute of limitations until the injury (or illness) was discovered. For example, if you worked in a manufacturing factory that was built with asbestos materials, and you developed mesothelioma during your retirement, the statute of limitations to file a claim will likely begin on, or around, the date you are diagnosed. The discovery rule ensures that no one misses out on filing a claim or lawsuit simply because they did not have all the information until after the statute of limitations expired.
Call a Personal Injury Lawyer in Maryland Today
While you should take all the time you need to recover, you should also not delay in calling the personal injury lawyers Maryland knows and respects, such as those from Brown Kiely LLP. The sooner you consult a lawyer, the better the outcome may be. Call Brown Kiely LLP, for a consultation with knowledgeable personal injury lawyers in Maryland.
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