How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After an Accident in Arizona?

After an accident, it’s normal to not get around to filing for compensation immediately—life happens, and your medical recovery and well being should take priority. On top of that, insurance companies can be notoriously slow to respond, resulting in further delays. However, regardless of your other obligations, you can only wait so long to start the claims process, or else it’ll be too late. In general, Arizona’s statute of limitations means that you have two years to file a claim from the date of your car accident. After those two years have passed, you likely won’t be able to file for any compensation whatsoever, even if the other driver was clearly liable. 

The clock starts ticking the moment your accident occurs, but it’s vital to not rush into things either; two years is usually plenty of time, and settling too quickly or hastily accepting an undervalued claim can be nearly as bad as not settling at all. Instead, talk to an Arizona auto accident attorney; they can better advise you as to your best course of action moving forwards, whether that be settling or pursuing a lawsuit. 

Exceptions to the Statute of Limitations

Arizona’s general statute of limitations is just that: general. There are numerous exceptions to the two-year rule that governs most personal injury claims:

• Injured minors. When a child under the age of 18 is injured in an accident, their statute of limitations doesn’t start counting down until they turn 18. As such, in most cases, injured minors can only be ineligible to file a personal injury claim once they turn 20, giving them plenty of time to mature and prepare.
• Delayed discovery. If your injury could not have been discovered by a reasonable person until significantly later, the statute of limitations will only begin counting down from when you discovered your injury. This is usually the case with certain delayed-onset injuries or chronic, devolving conditions.
• Claims against Arizona’s government. According to A.R.S. 12-821, when attempting to litigate against public entities or government employees for negligence, the statute of limitations is much shorter, being only 180 days from the date of your car accident. This makes suing the government especially difficult.

How Arizona Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help

Don’t let deadlines and daunting claims processes dissuade you from pursuing compensation. Our personal injury attorneys in Phoenix can expedite the claims process on your behalf, ensuring that the statute of limitations won’t be an issue for you; furthermore, we can make recovery simple by taking the tedium and complexities of it all off of your hands, giving you more time to focus on your physical, mental, and social health in the wake of a deeply personal accident.

Give ELG a call at (623) 877-3600 to schedule a free consultation—we can help you figure everything out, and answer any questions you might have about Arizona’s statute of limitations or other such laws pertaining to your case. We won’t charge you a dime until you win, and there’s never any pressure to hire; sometimes, simply talking to an attorney is plenty.