Time Limits For Personal Injury Lawsuits

Posted on June 28, 2016 at 4:05pm by

In the event that you suffer a personal injury in the state of Nevada, time is truly of the essence. Time limits for Nevada personal injury lawsuits, known as the Nevada statutes of limitations, set limits on how long you have to file a civil lawsuit. Conversely, these laws also limit the amount of time the state of Nevada has to prosecute individuals for committing a criminal offense.

Determining Time Limits

Time limits on personal injury lawsuits in NevadaMost time limitations on civil claims or crimes in Nevada can be found in Title 2, Chapter 11 of the Nevada Revised Statues. Depending on the crime or legal claim, the statute of limitation may vary. Moreover, not every state has the same time limits for equal claims or crimes. If too much time passes after a crime occurs, the Nevada statutes of limitations will prevent you from pursuing restitution for personal injury damages.

In Nevada, personal injury claims and wrongful deaths have two-year time limits. The date the accident or crime actually happened is the date that begins this two-year period. Once the time limitations have expired, you are no longer able to file a lawsuit, nor can you be prosecuted for a crime.

Why States Have Statutes of Limitations

Legislators typically determine the time limits for various civil claims and crimes, and function to serve both the public interest and to a lesser degree, the criminals themselves.

The reason each state has statutes of limitations is to ensure convictions occur in a timely fashion, and that those convictions occur only when evidence does not deteriorate over time. However, when time limits expire, the criminal is essentially free.

A statute of limitation generally requires that a criminal remain in the same state where the crime was committed and stay publicly visible (gainfully employed) so that law enforcement has the ability to pursue an investigation. If the criminal leaves the state, goes into hiding or is otherwise not publicly visible, the limitations are suspended, and upon returning to the state or public eye, statutes of limitations resume.

There is great debate over why some crimes have limitations, such as assault, medical malpractice, and personal injury (like an auto accident or slip and fall accident), and others do not, like murder or treason. Ultimately it’s up to the state and its legal constituents to decide what limitations are fair or disproportionate to the crime.

The Statute of Limitations in Nevada

It’s important that you be expedient with any civil claims you wish to file in the state of Nevada. Personal injury has a short, two-year time limit, so claims like car accidents, pedestrian accidents, product liability, and wrongful death are all subject to time restriction.

As a personal injury specialist in Nevada, my law firm, Eric A. Stovall, Ltd., has been helping people who have suffered personal injuries for almost 30 years. Located in Reno, Nevada, my team of legal professionals can help you determine a claim and file quickly to ensure your legal affairs are managed within the various time limitation set forth by the state.

If you have questions about statutes of limitations or a personal injury claim, I want to hear from you. For a free case review, please fill out the form to the left, or call me directly at (775)337-1444.

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