You have suffered an injury because of someone’s fault and are now looking for an experienced attorney for legal advice. As in most states, Florida also has a statute of limitations, which sets the deadline for personal injury lawsuits. The statute of limitations is different for different types of personal injury cases. No matter what type of lawsuit you are dealing with, you should seek legal advice in time. You may consider DDRB Lawyers for a free overview of your case. In this post, we are sharing the statute of limitations in Florida for different personal injury lawsuits.
Do I need to worry about the statute of limitations?
Yes, if you don’t file the lawsuit within the specified deadline as set by the statute of limitations, your case would be barred, and you cannot recover anything for your losses. There are two reasons why such a law exists. Firstly, having a deadline ensures that valuable evidence and information do not get lost in the course of time. Secondly, the statute of limitations ensures that the victims get justice, but at the same time, the defendants don’t have to worry about an accident or mishap that happened a decade back. The law is fair to both sides.
The statute of limitations for different cases
- Automobile Accidents: Although Florida is a no-fault state, there are some circumstances when one can step out of that system and file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. The deadline for injury lawsuits concerning auto accidents is four years, while for wrongful death lawsuits, the time cap is two years. The same is true for motorcycle accidents and pedestrian lawsuits.
- Slip and Fall Injuries: The deadline for slip and fall injury lawsuits in Florida is four years, while for wrongful death lawsuits, the statute of limitations sets a deadline of two years.
- Medical Malpractice: For most medical malpractice lawsuits in Florida, the deadline is two years. There is also another law known as the statute of repose, which sets the deadline as four years, no matter whether the victim knew or should have known about the case. The time limits are also similar for nursing home abuse cases.
- Dog Bites: The statute of limitations for lawsuits related to injuries caused by dog bites is four years. If the accident resulted in the death of the victim, the deadline is two years.
If you still need help with such cases, consider speaking to an attorney.
