San Bernardino Car Accident Statute of Limitations

Car accidents can leave lasting impacts, physically, emotionally, and financially. While your priority should be healing and taking care of your family, there’s one crucial legal deadline that shouldn’t be overlooked: the statute of limitations. In San Bernardino, you have a limited window of time to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver or any other responsible party.

Missing this deadline could mean losing your right to seek compensation altogether. Acting quickly ensures your case stays on track while evidence is still fresh and your legal options remain open.

Call the Valero Law Group as soon as possible to discuss the facts of your accident. One of our seasoned local attorneys can explain why waiting to bring suit is not in your best interests.

Benefits of Taking Quick Action After a Car Wreck

Filing a lawsuit as soon as possible after an auto crash in San Bernardino can avoid statute of limitations issues and has several advantages for an injured person.

Preserves Evidence

Reaching out quickly to an attorney allows an injured person to take advantage of more potential evidence. Car accident evidence can get misplaced over time; the attorney can gather and preserve all the evidence if they get to work immediately. In addition, an at-fault driver might try to hide their involvement in an accident, such as by taking their car to a repair shop to fix a dent.

Eyewitness testimony is also easier to secure soon after the crash, a witness is likelier to reliably recall precise details about an accident immediately after it occurs, and as time passes, they could move and prove hard to locate.

Gives Time To Build a Case

In addition to giving the lawyers enough time to gather evidence, filing suit soon after an accident allows attorneys to build and strengthen their case. Granting an attorney immediate access to physical evidence and witnesses gives the legal team ample time to develop a strategy into a solid claim for compensation.

The Time Limit May Be Shorter or Longer

Injured parties must also remember that the state has specific statutory limitations for filing a lawsuit after a San Bernardino car crash. Typically, injured parties only have two years from the date of a motor vehicle collision to file a lawsuit in civil court. However, that timeline could be as short as six months if the at-fault driver or other responsible party was a government employee.

The timeline also differs if the injured party is a minor because the two-year statute of limitations does not start running until they turn 18. The discovery rule can also extend the two-year statute of limitations, as it does not start running until the date the claimant discovers that their injuries occurred due to a car crash.

A knowledgeable local lawyer can carefully explain the statute of limitations and let an injured party know if any exceptions apply to the facts of their case.

Talk With a San Bernardino Lawyer About the Car Wreck Statute of Limitations

You should have the right to file a lawsuit for financial compensation when you sustain an injury in an automobile accident due to someone else’s actions. However, the San Bernardino car accident statute of limitations could bar you from filing a claim if you wait too long.

Talk to one of Valero Law Group’s experienced local lawyers, who will do their best to help you. Do not wait; set up an initial appointment today.