Missouri, like every other state, limits the amount of time that you have to file a lawsuit after a personal injury accident. If you wait too long and file your case after the statute of limitations expires, you won’t be allowed to recover any compensation for your injuries. Instead, the defendant will file a motion to dismiss with the court, and the court will refuse to hear your case.
Here’s How Long You Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit
In most cases, you have:
- Five years to file a personal injury case if you were hurt in an accident
- Three years to file a wrongful death case if your loved one was killed in an accident
- Some cases may be required to be filed in as little as one year
- Some notices of injury must be made within 90 days of injury
These times limits apply to cases, such as:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Truck wrecks
- Boat accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Rental equipment or unsafe product accidents
- Firework injury accidents
- Injuries caused by falls from horses
- Other related personal injury accidents
In limited circumstances, the statute of limitations may be extended. For example, you may have extra time to file a lawsuit if:
- You were under the age of 21 when you were hurt
- You were mentally incapacitated when you were hurt
In all of these situations, the time for filing a case may be extended, but it does not continue indefinitely.
Don’t Delay Contacting a Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer
Three or five years may sound like a long time, but you can potentially face significant problems if you wait that long to contact a personal injury lawyer. If you delay contacting a lawyer:
- Essential evidence may no longer be available. A lack of evidence may mean that you can’t prove that the defendant was negligent, and you should recover damages.
- You delay getting the compensation you need. You won’t get any money until your case settles or is decided in court. The longer you wait to take action, the longer this will take.
- A lawyer may not have enough time to file your case before the statute of limitations expires. If you contact a lawyer shortly before the deadline, then it could be too late to get help.
You may be unsure about whether you have a case or whether you can afford a personal injury lawyer. Our Smithville personal injury lawyer does not want you to worry about either of these things. Instead, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation about your rights and learn about our contingency fee option before your right to pursue a lawsuit expires.