Glossary

Statute of limitations

The deadline for filing a claim. Missing it ends the claim regardless of how strong it was.

Limitation periods for personal injury are commonly two or three years, but the period, its starting point and its exceptions are all state law and all vary. The starting point is often where the difficulty lies. A period can run from the date of injury, from the date the injury was or should have been discovered, or from some other event. Medical malpractice frequently runs on its own clock, and claims against a government body often carry a much shorter notice requirement — the District of Columbia requires written notice within six months before a suit against the District. A change to a limitation period may apply only to claims arising after the change, so which version governs can depend on when the injury happened.

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