If you’ve been injured in an accident, you’re probably considering pursuing a claim for compensation to pay for medical bills, future treatment, loss of wages and pain and suffering. However, you don’t have forever to file a claim. Every state has a statute of limitations, which is a law that sets a strict limit on the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit after suffering a personal injury.
So just how long do you have?
Arizona’s Personal Injury Statute of Limitations
The general statute of limitations for a personal injury accident lawsuit in Arizona is two years, which includes negligence/general personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, professional malpractice, and defective product claims.
This does not mean you should wait the entire two years to file your lawsuit. This is just a general guideline for filing a lawsuit, because each case may be adjusted according to various factors. Certain personal injury cases, such as ones against the city, the county, or the State of Arizona must be filed in less than six months—or 180 days.
If you suffer a hidden injury that you don’t discover until later, the two-year time limit starts on the date you discover the injury, instead of the actual date of the accident. For example, if a surgeon leaves a pair of scissors inside your body after a surgery, and you don’t discover them until 6 months later, the two-year time limit would start the day you discover the scissors.
If you try and file a personal injury lawsuit after the two-year time window has closed, the court will almost certainly refuse to consider it, so it’s important that you understand the statute of limitations in your state.
If you or a loved one was injured due to the negligent or reckless actions of another party, please contact our Phoenix personal injury lawyers at Rafi Law Group.
Call our office at (623) 207-1555 or contact us online today for a free consultation.