Are There Time Limits to Making a Personal Injury Claim?

You should not delay making a personal injury claim, as there are time limits in place which will be raised by any defendant and which will be strictly adhered to by the courts. The time limits are not always three years, and therefore you should seek the guidance of a personal injury solicitor ** who will be best placed to inform you on time limits.

Time Limits for Making a Claim

The general rule of personal injury is that the claimant has to bring his claim to court within three years of the date of the accident. This is a rule set out in the Limitation Act 1980. This means that the claimant should seek legal guidance well before the three-year limitation. That way, their personal injury solicitor ** has enough time to gather evidence, establish liability and negotiate a settlement (if possible) before the three-year deadline is up.

Exceptions to Claim Time Limits

There are some exceptions and variances to this rule. For example, in the case of a child a claim can be made up until three years after the child’s 18th birthday, i.e. By the time the child is 21. In the case of a deceased, the claim must be brought within three years of the claimant’s death.

Another example is where the injury is a medical condition where the symptoms do not present themselves until many years after the disease is contracted, such as mesothelioma, which is an industrial disease caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. In these cases, the three years run from the date of knowledge or diagnosis.

When the Timeframe is Less than Three Years

In some cases, a claimant will only have two years in which to make a claim. This applies mainly to accidents that have taken place abroad and to those claimants who are making claims against the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (cica).

To ensure that you are within time to make a claim, you should talk with our personal injury lawyers ** for Bolton as soon as possible. They will be able to guide you on whether you can still make a claim and how long you have left to do so. They will also be able to tell you if you can claim on a no win, no fee * basis.

Contact our Personal Injury Claims Lawyers for Bolton

Call us on 01204 802 050^ or if you prefer you can also contact us online for more information.

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