Richard Beaman
Solicitor
12 Oct, 2010

How many times have you heard, on TV "Have you had an accident in the last 3 years?"

The reason why they are asking if you have had an accident in the last three years is because there is usually a 3 year time limit, running from the date of the accident, in which to start a Court case arising out of an accident that caused personal injury.

There are one or two exceptions to this rule:

1. If you were under 18 at the time the accident happened, the three years does not start until you turn 18. This can mean that with accidents involving children you can have 10 or 15 years in which to start a Court case.
2. Also, if the accident caused an injury, such as, for example industrial deafness, then your three year period will start from when you knew or ought to have known that you had a claim.

This might be a long time after you were first exposed to the loud noise which caused the hearing loss. The time limits for pursuing a claim can cause problems in some cases, so you should always check with a solicitor regarding time limits right at the start of the claim.

Richard Beaman M.A. (Cantab) is a practising solicitor and is Head of the Personal Injury Department at Douglas Wemyss Solicitors in Leicester.