If you live in Washington state and have been injured or you’ve lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. In that situation, an experienced Washington personal injury will fight for you right to recover lost compensation. Personal injury law is an umbrella term that covers many specific areas of law including product liability, medical and legal malpractice, wrongful death, vehicle accidents, abuse of the elderly and many others. In contrast, a claim for breach of contract is governed by contract law.
Personal injury lawyers seek to get victims the compensation they need to pay the bills left in the wake of an injury or death at the hands of someone else. One very common term you will hear when reading about personal injury law is “statute of limitations.” The statute of limitations sets forth the time period you have to take legal action following an injury or death due to negligence. In Washington, a personal injury case must be filed within three years of the date of the incident that caused injury or death.
Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations
The Washington state statute of limitations for medical malpractice is also only three years, which means the victim of medical negligence has just two years from the date the patient knew or should have known of the injury to file a lawsuit against the negligent healthcare professional. When surgical mistakes are made and you don’t suffer symptoms of the mistake until years after the surgery, there are exceptions to the law that allow you to file suit after the expiration of the initial two-year period. An experienced medical malpractice attorney in Washington will tell you whether or not you have you have time to take legal action.
Product Liability Statute of Limitations
If you have been injured due to a defective product or if a loved one was killed because a product was faulty, whether it’s a car, medical device, electronic device, home appliance or prescription drug, you have three years from the date of the injury to take legal action.
Because of the complex legal language and because each product liability case varies, it’s advised that you consult an attorney who handles product liability cases to determine whether or not you have a claim and, if so, whether it is time barred.
Breach of Contract Statute of Limitations
While breaches of contract may not cause physical harm or death, they can cause financial injury and even financial ruin in some cases. In Washington, the statute of limitations to take legal action for breach of a written contract is six years, and for verbal contract, the statute of limitations is just three years.
Find a Seattle law firm to help you today.
