What’s a “statute of limitations”?

A statute of limitations is a law that sets a deadline by when you can file a claim after a certain event. When it comes to personal injury cases, it means there's a specific period of time where you can bring a lawsuit against a person or company you think is responsible. 

Statutes of limitations exist to make sure that the evidence in a case is "fresh" — that is, that evidence and witness testimony are likely to still be useful to the court in figuring out what happened.

When The Statute of Limitations has Passed

Don't automatically assume that nothing can be done if the statute of limitations has passed. There might still be a way to resolve your case in a satisfactory way. Talk to an attorney directly to discuss your options.