COVID-19 and Filing Your Accident Lawsuit

If you were recently involved in a car accident in Los Angeles, you may be inclined to put your legal claim on hold in light of the unprecedented times we find ourselves in with COVID-19. While that is understandable, we want to make sure you are making a fully informed decision.

Statute of Limitations

If you were injured in any type of accident, you have a limited amount of time to file your personal injury claim and recover financial compensation for your injuries and property damage. This timeline is called a statute of limitations (SOL).

According to the California Courts website, most lawsuits in California MUST be filed within a certain amount of time. In general, once the statute of limitations on a case “runs out,” the legal claim is no longer valid.  In other words, you will be stuck paying for any of your medical and related bills -- even though they may be the fault of the other driver.

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SOL Deadlines

The length of time you have to file a lawsuit in California depends on the type of lawsuit you are filing. If you have questions about where your claim falls, you will need to speak with an experienced accident lawyer. Generally speaking, here are the statute of limitations for the following claims...

In a personal injury lawsuit, you have two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. If the injury was not discovered right away, then you have 1 year from the date the injury was discovered.

If you are filing a claim for property damage, you have three years to file from the date the damage occurred.

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In some car accident claims, the defendant may be a government agency, such as a city (such as if you were hit by a hit bus). When filing claims against government agencies, you must file a claim with the agency within 6 months (for some cases, 1 year) of the incident. If the claim is denied, you can then file your lawsuit in court but there are strict limits which you will need to discuss with your injury lawyer.

The attorneys at Ghozland Law Firm are available for you 24/7 to discuss your potential legal claim, including via virtual meetings. Staying home and healthy is of utmost priority during these unprecedented times. We encourage you to give us a call to ensure your legal rights are protected.

Questions? Contact our skilled employment lawyers at Ghozland Law Firm today.