Your personal injury accident may have taken place over a year ago. While it may seem like everyone else has moved on from this event, you may still suffer from its consequences. Well, you may still have time to pursue a personal injury claim. For this, please read on to discover the state-imposed statute of limitations that you must closely observe and how one of the seasoned Panama City personal injury attorneys at Manuel & Thompson, PA, can help you get on the right track towards a successful case.
What is the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in FL?
In years past, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in the state of Florida was four years. But ever since the Florida Tort Reform Act of 2023, this deadline has been cut in half to two years. So, you may have two years from the date your accident occurred to submit your claim to the civil court.
With this, Florida joins the majority of states in the United States that observe a two-year statute of limitations. One of the primary reasons why this modification was enacted was to help the Florida civil court system work more efficiently. After all, the court still views this as a reasonable timeframe to get your legal affairs in order and hold a negligent party responsible.
What happens if my personal injury claim is against a public entity?
Say your slip and fall took place on a faulty or broken staircase leading up to a government building or in a poorly maintained public park owned by the city. Or, say that you got injured as a pedestrian while crossing a city street and observing a malfunctioning traffic control signal. In these cases, you may have to place your personal injury claim against a public entity.
Well, for this, you may have to take an extra step before filing with the Florida civil court. That is, you must submit a Notice of Claim to the public entity, essentially informing them of your incident and your intention to sue over it. This notice must be filed within three years of your accident event date.
However, you should not wait until the last day to do so. This is because they may take up to 180 days to investigate your claim and send a response. Ultimately, their response may be not to settle, reject your claim, and cite their immunity from liability. Or, they may not respond at all. With this, you may have to initiate legal action and still be under the two-year statute of limitations.
Do not let your legal initiatives stop after reading this blog. The next action you should take is calling us at Manuel & Thompson, PA, and retaining the services of one of the competent Panama City personal injury attorneys. Rest assured, we will take the reins from here on out.
