subject: Is it too late to claim compensation because of my accident? [print this page] How many times have you heard, on TV in UK: "Have you had an accident in the last 3 years?" Without a doubt these TV ads are of course in reference to personal injury claims and encoraging anyone who have had a harm causing incident to seek compensation, before it is too late.
But why 3 years? And, what if my incident is older than three years?
The reason of asking if you have had an accident in the last three years is because there is usually a 3 year time constraint, starting from when the accident happened, until a Court case arising out of an incident that caused personal harm in one way or another.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you were under 18 years of age at the time the accident happened, the three years does not apply until you turn 18. This can mean that when children are involved there can be ten to fifteen years within which a Court case can be started.
Furthermore, if the incident caused an injury, such as, for example industrial deafness, then the 3 year limitation period will start from when you knew or ought to have known that you had a potential claim. This might have been a considerable time after you were first exposed to the loud noise which caused the hearing loss.
These time constraints for making a claim can cause problems in some cases, so you should always check with a solicitor about time limits right at the start of the claim.
Is it too late to claim compensation because of my accident?
