The term statute of limitations is a legal rule that refers to the specific amount of time in which a person has to file a criminal or civil legal claim against another person or party.
The term statute of limitations is a legal rule that refers to the specific amount of time in which a person has to file a criminal or civil legal claim against another person or party (i.e., to charge that party with a crime or to sue that party). Once the statute of limitations for a case has passed, an individual will no longer have the legal right to file a claim against the alleged perpetrator or negligent party in court.
In the U.S., each state has established its own statutes of limitations, and for personal injury cases, most states have set the statute of limitations at two years from the time that an injury occurred or from the time that the injury was discovered. Specifically, the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits is:
- Two years in Illinois (Ill. Ann. State. Ch. 735, Art. 5, Sec. 13-202)
- Five years in Missouri (Missouri Ann. Stat. Title 35, Sec. 516.120)
Some of the specific types of personal injury lawsuits that would have to be filed within these statutes of limitations in their respective states include (but are not limited to):
- Traffic accident lawsuits (including those involving car accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents)
- Dog bite lawsuits
- Insurance bad faith lawsuits
- Medical malpractice lawsuits
- Dangerous drug lawsuits
- Defective product lawsuits (i.e., product liability lawsuits)
- Premises liability lawsuits (including those that involve slip and fall accidents).
St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers
If you have suffered any type of personal injury, contact the St. Louis personal injury lawyers at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law. We have a long-standing commitment to serving our clients, and we are experienced at aggressively defending our clients’ rights in any legal setting. Our goal is to preserve and promote the rights and welfare of individuals and families who have suffered injuries and losses and/or who need help navigating through the complexities of the court system.
Since 1993, our lawyers have been successfully representing our clients in various areas of personal injury litigation. Our unwavering dedication to the pursuit of justice in every case we handle means that we will work relentlessly to help our clients achieve the best possible outcomes to their cases. For a free initial consult, email us using the form at the right-hand side of the screen and/or to call us at 573-333-3333 for our Missouri office or at 618-888-8888 for our Illinois office.
