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When an injury happens, taking fast legal action can be a wise move. According to the UCONN Connecticut Crash Data Repository, during the first 10 months of 2023, there were over 60,000 vehicle crashes involving more than 146,000 people – not to mention all the other kinds of personal injuries that happen every day in Connecticut.
A statute of limitations is how long you have to file your personal injury claim before your right to do so is lost. Failing to file your case fast can mean losing out on compensation opportunities at court or from the insurance company. It is important that you find a Connecticut personal injury attorney who is quick to spring to action on your behalf, giving you ample time before the statute of limitations expires for your personal injury lawsuit.
At Gould Injury Law, our Connecticut personal injury lawyers believe that you deserve justice for what you have suffered due to the negligence of others. You should seek a fast and successful resolution to your case with the help of a compassionate legal team by your side.
Connecticut Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases
Common personal injury cases involve injuries sustained during car accidents, premises liability, medical malpractice, and faulty manufacturing. These types of cases can have different statutes of limitations depending on a number of factors. A statute of limitations is a legal time limit to file your claim or take the case to court.
While you may think that you have plenty of time to file, time can move very quickly in the aftermath of an accident, especially if you are dealing with serious injuries. You are trying to recover physically, financially, and emotionally. All of this can take its toll on you and your family, leading to delays in initiating legal proceedings.
Therefore, it is vital for plaintiffs to act sooner rather than later. As the injured party, it may be daunting to consider taking the other person to court for your personal injuries. That is why partnering with an experienced legal team can help resolve your case faster so that you can get back to the important things, like your recovery.
Car accidents
The statute of limitations for filing a car accident personal injury claim in Connecticut is generally 2 years from the date of the accident. Several types of accidents fall under this category, including car, truck, and motorcycle accident cases.
In most cases, it will be necessary to prove that the primary cause of the accident was negligence on the part of the defendant. This negligence could have been:
- Texting while driving
- Disobeying traffic signals
- Speeding
- Other traffic violations that contributed to the accident
If a vehicular accident involves drunk driving, a government or a company vehicle, there may be different statutes that apply. It is important to work closely with a lawyer who can help you determine the relevant timeline in your car accident case.
Premises liability
In general, premises liability cases have a 2-year statute of limitations in Connecticut to file a claim for recovery of damages. Slip-and-fall accidents are a common type of premises liability case. Similar to other personal injury cases, a key factor in premises liability cases is that the plaintiff must prove negligence on the part of the defendant. In order to seek compensation, a plaintiff must clearly prove that the injuries were caused by the inaction of another person.
Whether at a store, office, or private residence, property owners have a duty to maintain their property to be safe for visitors. If the owner noticed or should have noticed a danger and failed to mark or fix this danger to others, he or she may be considered negligent in providing a reasonably safe property. In these cases, promptly gathering evidence is extremely important.
Medical malpractice
As in other types of Connecticut personal injury cases, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases is generally 2 years. However, in this instance, it is not usually from the date of the alleged malpractice. Rather, plaintiffs have 2 years from the date they discover that a mistake was made in their treatment. Additionally, the time limit may change if the healthcare professional is employed by the state.
Medical cases can be extremely complex due to the nature of the healthcare provider-patient relationship. Patients may not realize at first that their provider has been negligent or failed to display reasonable care. This may extend the deadline to file suit to up to 3 years.
If you or your loved one have suffered at the hands of negligent medical professionals, it is important to seek help as soon as possible – don’t delay!
Product liability
Connecticut’s statute of limitations for being injured due to a defective product or sustaining injury caused by a faulty or badly designed product is rather complex. People who have suffered due to poor manufacturing or negligent business practices have several dates to keep in mind when it comes to the statute of limitations.
The Connecticut code, or statute, states about these injuries, “A product liability claim must be brought within 3 years from the date when the injury or death is first sustained or discovered or should reasonably have been discovered. However, no…action may be brought later than 10 years from the date that the responsible party, defendant, last had possession or control of the product.”
If you are unsure whether your product case falls under Connecticut’s statute of limitations, we urge you to contact us. Your personal injury attorney at Gould Injury Law would be happy to answer your filing questions or even file an amended complaint, if necessary, to get you the help you need – fast.
Wrongful death
A wrongful death claim is different from a personal injury claim. However, when a personal injury is serious enough to cause the immediate or eventual death of a victim, that person’s family can file a wrongful death claim against the one responsible for the fatal incident. There are two distinct statutes of limitations to keep in mind.
The family of the deceased must bring legal action within 2 years of the date of death and no more than 5 years from the event which led to their death. If your family has lost a loved one due to negligence, recklessness, or wanton misconduct towards others, you may have a wrongful death claim you could bring.
Exceptions to the Rules
As far as laws go, the statutes of limitations are generally very strict, with little leeway or arguability in court. Under normal circumstances, if someone injures you in a car accident and you don’t file your case within 2 years, you no longer have any options for compensation. The time limits are strictly adhered to by Connecticut courts.
However, there are certain scenarios – exceptions to the rule – where a plaintiff may have more time to act. For example, there are three common reasons why a time limit may get extended:
- You discovered your injury later after the initial event
- The defendant left the state or cannot be located
- The defendant’s fraudulent concealment of their liability or withholding evidence
If you believe that one of these exceptions may apply in your case, it is vital that you talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. In the event that your case can be given an exception and an extended deadline, you may have up to 7 years to file.
You don’t have forever, so remember that faster is better when it comes to filing personal injury lawsuits and claims.
How Gould Injury Law Can Help
The filing limitations for personal injury lawsuits vary in Connecticut courts. Whether your personal injury claim has a statute of limitations of 2 years or 7 years, or else meets one of the requirements for exceptions, you must act fast to resolve your personal injury case. Contact a Connecticut personal injury lawyer to learn more about the Connecticut personal injury statute of limitations.
After a life-changing accident, you are likely wondering whether Connecticut’s personal injury statute of limitations applies to the injuries caused by another party. You have a relatively short time to act and file a personal injury lawsuit against another person, so contact a Gould Injury Law personal injury attorney immediately after your injury occurs.
Contact Gould Injury Law today to schedule your free consultation. Don’t delay; talk to the fast firm at 888-WIN-FAST.