Personal Injury and Medical
Malpractice Victims
A lovely upscale residential neighborhood sitting amid small-scale commercial villages, the city of Parkland, Florida is one of the smaller municipalities in the Sunshine state, and was incorporated in the 1960s. Despite its family-friendly orientation, residents and visitors to Parkland will have difficulty avoiding a common issue that is experienced across the nation – suffering a personal injury in an accident or incident caused by another’s negligence or criminal acts.
All personal injury cases, no matter what type of accident is the cause of the injury, are subject to the state’s statute of limitations. The statute of limitations is a specific time frame during which a personal injury victim must either settle the claim or file a lawsuit in the appropriate court. If the victim fails to take legal action within the specified time frame, the case could be barred forever simply because of the passage of time.
Florida law mandates that for most personal injury lawsuits, the case must be filed within four years of the date of the accident. In rare circumstances, a personal injury victim’s injuries may not be apparent or realized until after the statute of limitation window has passed. In such a scenario, the period during which the filing of the lawsuit is allowed may be extended by a Florida judge. This is known as the discovery of harm rule. If an individual reasonably could not have discovered an immediate injury following an accident, he or she may be allowed to file a lawsuit outside of the statute of limitations.
Of note, if the personal injury involves a government entity including city, county, and state governments, this time frame is shortened. The deadlines that apply to these personal injury lawsuits vary from state to state. In some places, the timeframe during which to file a lawsuit against a government can be as short as 60, 90, or even 120 days. Florida’s statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits involving a government entity is shortened to three years.
Personal injury law covers several types of accidents, and falls under the area of the law known as torts. Some examples of personal injury lawsuits include:
With offices located from the Florida Keys to West Palm Beach, the personal injury trial attorneys at the Law Offices of Joseph I. Lipsky, P.A. have represented injured victims across the state of Florida for decades. Call 954-693-0073 or click here today to schedule your initial case evaluation.