One of the most happening and exciting cities in North Carolina, Greensboro is a fascinating place to reside and explore. But with the increasing number of people, the number of vehicles on the city streets is going up too. Coupled with reckless driving, this can often result in unpleasant and fatal traffic accidents, leaving people grievously injured.
But a Greensboro personal injury attorney can tell you that traffic-related incidents are not the only way residents incur significant injuries. Several workplace accidents, medical negligence cases, and instances of accidental poisoning or slips and falls are equally responsible for severe injuries in Greensboro. Therefore, regardless of the severity and cause of the damage, it is essential to hire a lawyer and file a compensation claim before the timeline expires.
The following are the statute of limitations in North Carolina that residents should know about.
Car accidents
As per city data, over eighty percent of Greensboro residents drive to work every day. Just over two percent of them walk, and even fewer use their bicycles. Under these circumstances, road accidents will inevitably occur. When that happens, victims have three years from the date of the accident to file a compensation claim against the party at fault.
Medical malpractice
The statute of limitations in Greensboro and other North Carolina cities for medical malpractice cases is complex. That is because patients may not always immediately realize that the doctor has been negligent, causing more harm than good. In many cases, complications due to medical malpractice appear a year or more later. Nevertheless, most medical malpractice cases are subject to a three-year limitation. However, if the negligence has not been uncovered for two or more years, the discovery rule extends the limitation by a year.
In addition, there are different rules applied in medical negligence cases where a foreign object has been left inside a patient’s body. In such a condition, patients have a year from the date of discovery to file the lawsuit. But it should be filed within ten years from the date of surgery during which the negligence occurred.
Workplace injury
If you get injured at your workplace in Greensboro, you have a maximum of two years from the date of the work-related incident to file a workers’ compensation claim. In most cases, workers cannot sue their employers. But they have the right to file a lawsuit against a negligent party liable for the accident that caused them the injury. Such cases are subject to the standard three-year limitation.
Wrongful death
Greensboro residents who lose their loved ones to car accidents, workplace hazards, animal attacks, or other injuries have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Typically, the two-year timeline begins the day the victim dies.
Product liability
Defective product claims can be filed within three years, just like other personal injury claims in Greensboro. But consumers have up to twelve years to file a lawsuit for injuries they sustained due to the defective product. So, your lawyer can file a claim even if the damage was discovered at a later date.
Do not wait to file a claim
Despite the above cases, certain exceptions to the statute of limitations in North Carolina can be unpredictable and very narrow in scope. So, even if you miss the claim deadline by the minutest margin, the judge may bar you from seeking any compensation over the issue.
On the other hand, an experienced Greensboro personal injury attorney can start building a case immediately after the incident, provided you hire their services. This is critical, as a personal injury claim in the city can take between six months to a year to be settled. If liability is disputed, it may take eighteen months or longer.
A reliable local injury attorney can get this settled out of court in the quickest possible time, ensuring victims receive a fair amount as compensation.
