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• Statute of Limitations

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Statute of Limitations legal definition: A statute of limitations is a type of state or federal law that restricts the time by which a person can take legal action. Essentially, the function of a statute of limitation is to limit the time someone may file either criminal and civil cases.

Statutes of Limitation and Car Accident Cases

Car accident injury victims have a limited time frame to file a claim for legal compensation. In the state of Pennsylvania, personal injury claims stemming from car accidents must be filed within two years of the date the injury was suffered.

However, Pennsylvania operates under what’s known as discovery rules, which extends the statute of limitations in some personal injury actions. Under the discovery rule, the statute of limitations begins on the date the injury victim becomes aware of – or should have become aware of – an injury caused because of someone else’s negligence. 

The statute of limitations for wrongful death suits in Pennsylvania is two years from the date of death.

There are also special rules for minors, who must file personal injury actions within two years of their 18th birthday instead of two years from the date the injury was suffered. 

Statutes of Limitations and Medical Malpractice Case 

In Pennsylvania, medical malpractice claims must be filed within two years of when the injury or illness was suffered. The discovery rule applies to medical malpractice claims – which means that a suit must be brought two years from when the injured party becomes aware of or should have been aware of, the injury or illness.

Statutes of Limitations and Personal Injury Cases 

The statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Pennsylvania is two years. This applies to all types of personal injury actions, including:

• Car accidents

• Product liability cases

• Medical malpractice

• Slip and fall

Statutes of Limitations and Workers’ Compensation Cases

Statutes of limitations dictate the time frame an employee injured on the job has to file a workers’ compensation claim. In Pennsylvania:

• Three years from the date of injury to file a workers’ comp claim

• Three years to seek reinstatement of workers’ compensation benefits in cases where a claim has been terminated or

• 300 weeks from the date of last exposure in occupational disease claims

Sources:

https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/statute+of+limitations 

https://injury.findlaw.com/accident-injury-law/time-limits-to-bring-a-case-the-statute-of-limitations.html 

https://injury.findlaw.com/workers-compensation/workers-compensation-statute-of-limitations-by-state.html

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