Miss the deadline and the case is over, no matter how strong it is. Here are the rules.
The general rule: two years
Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 gives you two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death.
Government defendants: six months
If a city bus, a county vehicle, a state employee, or dangerous public property (a road, sidewalk, or park) is involved, you must first file an administrative claim within six months (Government Code § 911.2). If the claim is rejected, you generally have six months from the rejection to sue.
Other deadlines to know
- Property damage: three years (CCP § 338).
- Medical malpractice: one year from discovery, three years from the injury at most (CCP § 340.5).
- Minors: the clock is generally paused until age 18 for most injury claims (but not for government claims).
- Discovery rule: for injuries that could not reasonably have been discovered right away, the clock may start when you knew or should have known.
Why waiting is expensive even before the deadline
Video gets overwritten. Witnesses move. Vehicles get repaired or scrapped. Medical gaps grow. The strongest cases are built early. Call us now; the review is free.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rules change; talk to a lawyer about your situation.