Statute of Limitations WA State

A “personal injury” is is a legal term typically used in civil court settings to refer to any type of injury including physical, financial, or psychological that affects an individual. When an individual or group of individuals is injured because of intentional, negligent, or reckless behavior, or by an action covered by strict liability, a personal injury claim may be an appropriate way to recover damages. Personal injury laws are complicated and vary from state to state, including the amount of time allowed to file a personal injury claim. We are going to talk about WA State statute of limitations in this article.

If you have been injured, it is in your interest to seek the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney in your area because they are familiar with the injury laws in your state. Most personal injury attorneys provide a free case evaluation and a contingency fee plan. A contingency fee plan means that you will pay your attorney with a percentage of the damages you win but you will not owe any fees if you do not recover any damages. Damages are a sum of money claimed or awarded in compensation for a loss or an injury.

Is There a Time Limit on Personal Injury Claims?

Yes, each state has a time limit for bringing a personal injury claim called a statute of limitations.

Statute of limitations defined

A statute of limitations is a type of federal or state law enacted by the legislature that restricts or extends the time within which legal proceedings may be brought after a personal injury occurs. Courts are generally not given the authority to extend a statute of limitations and it is considered unconstitutional if it immediately curtails an existing remedy or provides so little time that it deprives an individual of a reasonable opportunity to start a lawsuit. Statutes of limitations actually date back to Roman law and are designed to prevent fraudulent or old claims from being made after the evidence or facts have been lost over the passage of time or the faulty memory, death, or disappearance of a meaningful witness.

Typically, the statute of limitations is used by the defense team to try and defeat an action from a plaintiff after the state’s statute of limitation has elapsed. The defendant must plead this defense immediately upon responding to the plaintiff’s complaint. If the defense is not made at that time, it is noted that the defense has waived their right to use it in any subsequent proceedings.

You have a limited amount of time to file your personal injury claim in Washington. Washington statute of limitations laws may differ from those of other states.

WA State Statute of Limitations for personal injury claims:

• Negligence claims have a three year statute of limitations; these include slip and fall accidents, workplace accidents, car accidents, toxic torts, etc.*
• *Exception: If the injury is incurred by a minor child, the child may have three years from their 18^th birthday to file a claim.
• A Medical Malpractice case has a three year statute of limitations from the date of the act or omission or a one year statute from the date the injury should have been discovered (the Discovery Rule), whichever is later. Under no circumstances may a medical malpractice claim be brought more than eight years after the act or omission.
• A Wrongful Death case has a three year statute of limitations.
• A Products Liability case has a three year statute of limitations.
• A Strict Liability case has a three year statute of limitations.
• An Assault or Battery case has a two year statute of limitations.
• A Defamation case has a two year statute of limitations.

It is always recommended that you do not wait until the last minute to file a personal injury claim. You risk damaging your claim in the following ways by waiting:

• Notification. Even if you don’t plan to file a civil suit, it is precarious to wait too long to notify a liable party of your injury. Failure to notify within a reasonable or set timeline may nullify a claim you file in the future.
• Lost evidence. The longer you wait after an injury has occurred to hire an attorney and file a suit, the more risk you have that evidence will be lost. In many cases, a personal injury attorney will work with an investigator who takes accident scene photos. If too much time has passed there may be a missed opportunity to capture skid marks on the road or damage to vehicles involved in the accident, for example.
• Witness problems. A personal injury attorney will contact witnesses who may be able to provide eye witness accounts that support your case. If you wait too long to contact an attorney then witnesses may be lost as they move, forget the incident, or even pass away.
• Memory fades with time. Depositions require knowing many facts about the accident and subsequent injury. Over time, our memories fade which could make it difficult to provide the information requested of you. The closer to the event, the clearer your memory is likely to be.
• Multiple injury cases. If there is an accident where more than one person is injured, there is a risk that only the first person to file a suit will be eligible for damages. This applies when the negligent party has limits to their insurance coverage.
• Documenting treatment. After an accident and injury occurs, the first thing we should do is seek medical treatment. A personal injury attorney will advise you on how to document your treatment and keep medical records for use in your case so hiring an attorney early on is extremely beneficial.