In New Jersey, victims of personal injury generally have two years from the date of their injury to take legal action for damages. However, that is an outside time limit, and it is subject to lots of exceptions that can lengthen or shorten the window of time for filing a lawsuit. Missing the deadline for filing a lawsuit could result in losing valuable legal rights. New Jersey’s statute of limitations outlines how long a plaintiff has to take legal action stemming from a personal injury.
To ensure that you take legal action within the time required, always seek the advice of an experienced Atlantic City personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your injury. Not only will this protect against you losing valuable rights to compensation, it will also give your case the best chance of succeeding by allowing your attorney to gather evidence while it is still fresh, and to plan a legal strategy tailored to your needs.
A few circumstances that may permit a personal injury victim more time to file a personal injury lawsuit, such as:
- The victim is a minor. The court will generally toll (pause) the statute of limitations until the minor child turns 18. At this point, the two-year clock will start.
- The defendant cannot be found. Sometimes the other party moves or intentionally hides to escape financial responsibility. This is not your fault. If you can show that you made an effort to find the other party, the court will generally allow an extension.
- Fraud. There may be circumstances where the defendant hid details about the case or lied about the details. If facts come to light that may change the outcome of your case, the court may allow you extra time.
Speak with an experienced Atlantic City personal injury attorney to determine whether one of these circumstances applies in your case.