Personal injury - time limits on claims

The most common claim in a personal injury case is negligence. In negligence cases a claim for compensation must be made within three years of you being first aware that you have suffered an injury. The distinction is important: in the case of an accident this is likely to be three years of the accident taking place. However in the case of an 'environmental' injury such as an illness caused by the presence of asbestos at work, you may not be aware that you suffer from the disease until years after the original exposure. In such cases a claim is possible for up to three years after a diagnosis is made.

If your injury results from an assault you can make a claim against the assailant in the civil courts for up to six years after the attack took place. In most cases, claims for criminal injury with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA - http://www.cica.gov.uk/) must be made within two years of the injury being suffered.

Time limits on claims involving aircraft and boats are less than three years and depend on the circumstances of the accident. Contact our personal injury team working for you straight away. The call is free, the advice is free and nothing will ever be deducted from your compensation. 

Read more on Personal Injury?

What to do now?

Call a solicitor and get our personal injury team working for you straight away. The call is free, the advice is free and nothing will ever be deducted from your compensation.