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Statute of Limitations

Each state imposes its own statute of limitations for personal injury claims. These statutes set time frames regarding how long an injured party has to file a lawsuit after an injury occurs. Usually, the time limit varies anywhere from one to four years.

Arizona’s Statute of Limitations

In Arizona, Revised Statute Section 12-542 of Arizona code sets the time limit for bringing forth a claim at two years. The law specifically reads that a tort action must be commenced within two years after the cause of the action accrues, i.e. the date that the accident occurs. In some cases, though, this can be interpreted to mean after two years from the date of discovery of the injury (in some cases, an injury may not be discovered on the same day that a car accident takes place).

What Happens If You Do Not File Within the Statute of Limitations

If you do not file your claim within the statute of limitations, then you will be barred from recovering damages entirely unless there are extenuating circumstances that prevented you from filing in time, and you can prove these circumstances to a court. However, be advised that if you do not file within two years’ time, you will probably not be able to recover compensation. For this reason, it is very important that you begin the process of recovering compensation as soon as possible after your car accident.

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