The statute of limitations essentially serves as your deadline to pursue personal injury claims, such as premises liability claims. This law is enforced for the sake of efficiency and fair practice within the Maryland civil court system, among other reasons. Read on to discover the statute of limitations for your premises liability claim and how a seasoned St. Mary’s County slip and fall lawyer at The Dorsey Law Firm can ensure this deadline is met.
What is the statute of limitations for a premises liability claim in Maryland?
Across the board, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including premises liability claims, in the state of Maryland is three years. The meaning behind this is that you may only have three years from the date on which your slip and fall accident transpired to initiate legal action. A failure to make this deadline by even just one day may result in the following consequences:
- The Maryland civil court may outright deny your premises liability claim.
- You may indefinitely lose your right to pursue a civil lawsuit for this slip and fall accident.
- You may officially miss out on compensation for your incurred bodily injuries and property damages.
- You may ultimately fail at your moral responsibility to protect others from a property owner’s negligence.
Of note, there may be rare instances in which the Maryland civil court grants an extension on this hard deadline. For example, if your incurred injuries and damages were delayed and only reasonably noticeable well after the date of your slip and fall accident. Nonetheless, you cannot and should not bank on being the exception to this rule.
What is the deadline for a Notice of Claim in Maryland?
Unique to premises liability claims, there is an additional step that must be taken in the form of a Notice of Claim. This essentially gives the at-fault party a “heads up” on your intention to take legal action against them. Of note, this step may not be required if you wish to sue a private property owner. Rather, this may only be necessary if your slip and fall accident occurred on a municipal property. Or, if a municipal officer, agent, or employee caused your accident.
Nonetheless, you must submit your Notice of Claim no later than 180 days from the date of your slip and fall accident. What’s more, within this claim, you must describe and prove your eligibility to sue, the damages you are suing for, and the municipal’s responsibility to compensate you for these damages.
Evidently, all this cannot be written up in a day. Meaning that you cannot and should not wait until 179 days after your slip and fall accident to begin working on it. The same goes for filling out your subsequent premises liability claim.
In conclusion, before it is too late, you must retain the services of a competent Leonardtown personal injury lawyer. Call our Dorsey Law Firm office today.
