While the general statute of limitations for California personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits is two years, there are tighter filing deadlines when it is a certain type of case or a certain defendant. When you were injured or a loved one was killed and the defendant is a city or government entity, you only have six months to get the initial mandatory filing on the books before you lose the opportunity to collect money for your injuries. Keep in mind that this six month deadline does not mean that your case needs to be settled by this time, just that necessary administrative filings need to be in. Of course, the sooner you call us, the sooner we can get this done and the process of getting you paid started. The only thing you need to do is call us and tell us what happened, we will take it from there.
California Government Code Section 911.2
According to California Government Code Section 911.2, personal injury and wrongful death victims have six months to file an administrative claim against the potentially responsible agency. After this notice filing, the government then has 45 days to respond before there is an opportunity to file a civil lawsuit. In some instances, the government will work to settle a case before any formal civil claim is filed and in others we will need to take it to the next step to make sure you get the full value of your case.
California Personal Injury Lawsuits Against Government
Here are some common examples of when a city, state or California government is the defendant in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit:
- Car accident: getting hit by a police car, fire truck or ambulance (whether they are active or inactive) can give rise to a car accident lawsuit against that agency. Like any car accident filing, liability needs to be proven as does injuries, etc.
- Pedestrian accidents: getting hit while you are on foot is another common personal injury case that the government can be primarily or partially responsible for. For instance, poor street lighting at a cross walk can be an example of when the driver and the city will be made to pay.
- Slip and fall: Whether you fell and were injured because of a poorly maintained city sidewalk (an increasingly common issue in major cities like Los Angeles) or a fall at a government building, these injuries can be major and the government in charge can be held responsible for their negligence in failing to maintain the safety of their property.
While the process is a bit more tedious (for us, NOT you), the value of these types of lawsuits can be much higher than when it is against a person and their insurance coverage because governments and cities have the ability to pay larger settlements. The more injuries and impact your injury or death had on your life, the higher the value of your case. Some of the areas you can get money for in a winning case include:
- Medical bills (current and future needs)
- Missed work
- Inability to work
- Disability needs
- Pain and suffering
- And more depending on the specifics of your case
Ultimately, it is our goal to make sure that you do not suffer financially following your accident. When there has been a death, we work to make sure that your family is compensated for your loss and the loss of contributions from the deceased. Each case is unique and at your initial free consultation with us we will go over the process, answer your legal questions and give you a realistic idea of the potential value of your case.
Experienced Government Personal Injury Lawyer
If your injuries are the result of a city official in action (i.e. a police officer driving and hits you) or occurred because of poorly maintained government property, call the talented team of lawyers at Walch Law to day to discuss your legal options further. Extremely tight fling deadlines coupled with vigorous defenses means that you want us on your side from the beginning. We know how to win these specific types of cases for a lot of money but you need to act now in calling us. Contingency fee payment plan is how we take all our cases so you pay us nothing until we get you paid. We look forward to helping you! 1-844-999-5342
