Every injury claim in California runs on a clock, and when it hits zero, the strongest case in the world is worth nothing. Here are the deadlines that matter, and the traps inside them.
The general rule: two years
For most personal injury claims, including car accidents, falls, and dog bites, you have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. Wrongful death claims run two years from the date of death.
The government trap: six months
If your claim involves a public entity, a city bus, a Metro train, a dangerous public road or sidewalk, a government employee on the job, you must file a formal government claim within six months, before any lawsuit. Miss it and the courthouse door usually closes. LA injury cases involve public entities far more often than people realize.
Other clocks running at the same time
- Medical malpractice: generally three years from injury or one year from discovery, whichever comes first.
- Property damage: three years.
- Uninsured motorist claims: policy deadlines can require action within two years, sometimes with specific arbitration demands.
- Minors: children's claims are generally tolled until 18, but government claims and medical claims have their own child-specific rules.
- Evidence: no statute protects surveillance footage that gets overwritten in 30 days or a truck's driver logs. The practical deadline is always sooner than the legal one.
What this means for you
Do not calendar the deadline and wait. The claims that settle well are the ones investigated early, while the video exists, the witnesses remember, and the treatment record is unbroken. Talk to a lawyer within days of an injury, not months. It costs nothing and it removes the one mistake nobody can fix.
Questions about your situation? The consultation is free and the advice is honest. Call (310) 598-9614, 24/7.