What is the statute of limitations in Pennsylvania?

A “statute of limitations” is a law that sets a time limit on your right to bring a lawsuit. If you miss the deadline set by this law and you try to file your case, the Pennsylvania court system will almost certainly dismiss your case, unless an exception applies to extend the deadline.

In Pennsylvania, as in most states, the statute of limitations that will affect a car accident lawsuit is the same as the larger one that applies to most personal injury cases. Specifically, 42 Pennsylvania Code Section 5524 says that “an action to recover damages for injuries to the person or for the death of an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another” must be brought within two years.In other words, after an accident where someone was injured or killed, any lawsuit regarding the accident must be filed within two years.

The timer on the statute of limitations for an injury case starts on the date of the accident. But if a car accident caused someone’s death, and the family or other representatives of the deceased person want to bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver who caused the crash, the timer on the statute of limitations starts running from the date of the victim’s death.

In order to not miss the statute of limitations, it is best to speak to a car accident attorney right away.

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