How long does a plaintiff have to file a civil suit after an injury occurs?
How long does a plaintiff have to file a civil suit after an injury occurs? Assistant at Ascent Law LLC Assistant at Ascent Law LLC The statute of limitations on a personal injury case can last anywhere from two to six years. This depends on the type of accident and the nature of the injuries. Most personal injury cases involve negligence. A wrongful death lawsuit is a little different, and has its own statute of limitations. A medical malpractice case is another matter altogether. Depending on the nature of the injury, the average personal injury lawsuit can last anywhere from six months to a year. This includes the discovery process, which involves the gathering of evidence about the incident. This includes the completion of depositions, and questionnaires, as well as requests for medical records. A lawyer will also wait until the plaintiff has reached maximum medical improvement before deciding whether or not to settle the case. This could take anywhere from nine months to fifteen m...