Statute of Limitations

Pennsylvania Statute of Limitations

Personal injury claims in Pennsylvania, like other claims, are subject to a statute of limitations. Pennsylvania statute of limitations are laws that establish deadlines to be met to sustain personal injury claims. Statutes of limitations are meant to encourage the filing of claims while the evidence relating to the personal injury claim is still fresh, and thus more likely to be accurate. If you fail to file your claim within the applicable statute of limitations, you will lose your right to recover damages for your injuries.

Pennsylvania statute of limitations timelines vary for different types of claims. For example, breach of contract claims must typically be brought within four years from the date of the breach. Whereas a plaintiff typically has four years to file breach of contract claims, the statute of limitations for other types of claims, such as personal injury claims, is much shorter.

Personal injury claims must generally be filed within two years from the date that the alleged injury occurred. In certain exceptional circumstances, Pennsylvania’s “discovery rule” applies, and the time period is extended to two years from the date the claimant knew or should have known that he or she was injured and that the injury was caused by another’s negligence. In contrast, certain claims must be brought even sooner than two years. For example, you are required to provide notice within six months of an injury or you are barred from bringing a claim against government bodies in Pennsylvania.

Although there are exceptions to the rule, claims alleging negligence or strict liability, such as any of the following types of personal injury claims, must typically be brought, if at all, within two years from the injury-causing event:

• Auto accidents
• Truck accidents
• Cancer diagnosis delays
• Workplace injuries
• Defective products
• Construction site injury
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Birth injuries
• Slip and fall
• Medical Malpractice
• Passenger Injuries
• Drunk Driving
• Premises Liability
• Nursing Home Abuse
• Defective Products
• Wrongful Death
• Catastrophic Personal Injuries

Pennsylvania Personal injury claims must be brought promptly. Accordingly, it is important to contact an attorney soon after an injury-causing event in order to ensure that you don’t lose your rights.

For more than fifty years, Haggerty Silverman & Justice has built a reputation of integrity, handling personal injury claims of all type in size. Whether your personal injury claim resulted from an automobile accident, truck accident, medical malpractice, premises liability, products liability, or any other cause, and regardless of the damages that you seek, we are dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for you and your family. We take a personal interest in each case. Contact one of our personal injury attorneys, workers compensation attorneys, or insurance bad faith attorneys, to ensure that your rights are protected.