Deadlines & help · 00:27
Arizona injury claim deadlines: why waiting can hurt
Two short videos explain why you should check the deadline for your situation and preserve evidence early.
00:27Watch on YouTube
The general rule is only a starting point
Arizona law generally provides two years after a personal injury cause of action accrues to bring an action. The clips describe that general rule in conversational terms. The correct deadline depends on the claim and its facts, so do not use a video to calculate your final filing date.
Some claims have much earlier requirements
Claims involving public entities or public employees generally require a notice of claim within 180 days after accrual, subject to the statute’s provisions. Other deadlines and exceptions can also matter. Ask about the requirements that apply to your particular accident.
Evidence can become harder to find before the deadline
In the companion video, Jared explains that witnesses, records and other evidence may become harder to locate over time. An early conversation can help identify both the timing questions and the information worth preserving.
Read the main video transcript
Transcript edited for clarity and readability. Watch the video for the original delivery.
What happens if you wait too long to take action? The statute of limitations is real. You have, again depending on the case, right around two years in the state of Arizona. As soon as that lapses, you don’t have a case. It’s gone. It doesn’t come back.
The statute of limitations doesn’t care about your feelings. It doesn’t care about the fact that you went to the hospital for two years. If you pass that mark, you’re done. So again, reach out to a lawyer as soon as possible.
A related short answer
How long do you have to file a claim?
Why getting evidence organized early matters even when a filing deadline seems far away.
Watch the related short on YouTube (00:37)
Read the transcript
Transcript edited for clarity and readability. Watch the video for the original delivery.
How long do you have to file a claim in Arizona? The technical answer is two years for most cases. However, the problem is that you will most likely run into lost evidence, lost witnesses and all sorts of different things that are going to change over time.
What you want to do is get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible. You don’t want those things to disappear. You want to get them cataloged, into evidence and into a file so you have them for later. Waiting until the last second—basically one year, eleven months and so many days—really puts you in a bind.
Arizona law referenced
Keep exploring this question
Related answers
00:22Not sure whether you have an injury case?
Jared explains how a free consultation can help you ask the questions you do not yet know how to answer.
Watch and read Not sure whether you have an injury case?