Whether you entered a car accident with a reckless driver, slipped and fell on someone else’s premises, got injured when utilizing a consumer product, got bitten by someone else’s dog, or otherwise, you may be eligible to sue in a personal injury claim to recover from your incurred damages. We understand that entering a legal battle may be a great undertaking, and something that you may have to carefully consider before initiating. However, if you hesitate and reflect on this for too long, you might miss the state of New Jersey’s imposed deadline for filing claims like this one. With that said, please continue reading to learn the statute of limitations for your claim and how one of the experienced Bergen County personal injury attorneys at McNerney & McAuliffe can work quickly to ensure you meet this deadline.
What is the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim in NJ?
The general rule is that the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim in the state of New Jersey is two years. The reason why this is the general rule is that there are exceptions that may allow certain plaintiffs to extend this deadline.
For one, if a plaintiff can reasonably claim the discovery rule in that they did not uncover their incurred bodily injuries from the accident event until weeks, months, or even years later. Or, if a plaintiff was a minor at the time of their accident and wants to pursue a civil claim once they reach adulthood (i.e., 18 years old).
But otherwise, you may only have two years from the date on which your personal injury accident was recorded. You should not assume and rely on the discovery rule to give you an extra time cushion, but rather treat this as a hard-stop deadline with no exceptions.
What are the consequences of failing to meet this statute of limitations?
The New Jersey civil court takes the imposed statute of limitations quite seriously. So, if you miss this deadline and fail to argue for the discovery rule to apply, the court may dismiss your filed claim entirely. With this, you may be permanently barred from taking any further legal action for this personal injury accident again.
Ultimately, this means being deprived of the financial compensation you require to reach a full recovery. But also, you may miss your opportunity to seek justice over the negligent party that caused all this to happen in the first place, and deter them from acting so recklessly and carelessly ever again.
Do not let your legal initiatives stop after reading this blog. The next action you should take is calling us at McNerney & McAuliffe and retaining the services of one of the skilled Bergen County personal injury attorneys. Rest assured, we will take the reins from here on out.