Answers to Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, and Car Accident Questions
Q: How long do I have to sue for a slip and fall injury if the injury did not show up right away?
A: In California, an injured person has two years to bring a lawsuit for personal injuries suffered in a slip and fall injury as measured from he date of the accident or from the date the accident and injury should have been discovered by the injured person. The exception to this rule is when the defendant is a government entity. If that is the case, the injured person must file a government tort claim within six months of the date of injury.
The "should have been discovered" language is a bit misleading. Most slip and fall injury accident victims will know immediately if they have slipped and injured themselves. In those cases, the date of the accident and the date it should have been discovered are one and the same. In most cases, even if an injury is discovered after the accident, it will be discovered shortly after the initial incident.
It is always a good idea to measure the two year statute of limitations from the day of the slip and fall incident. That way you won't get trapped thinking you have more time than you do to file your lawsuit.
The Jurewitz Law Group is a San Diego personal injury law firm representing people injured in car accidents, motorcycle crashes, slip and fall injuries, dog bite attacks, pedestrian accidents, and bicycle accidents. Their personal injury office is located in Downtown San Diego, has offices in Carlsbad, California, and serves all of San Diego County including the following cities and towns:
San Diego, Chula Vista, Escondido, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, El Cajon, Carlsbad, Poway, Encinitas, La Mesa, Santee, National City, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Coronado.
