Statute of Limitations on Auto Insurance Claims in Texas

Many auto insurance claims in Texas that are the result of a personal injury accidents are settled out of court. The victim, however, needs to be aware of the statute of limitations, time limit, in the event filing of a lawsuit is necessary.

Statute of Limitations

A statute of a limitations is a time limit set by the state legislature within which a plaintiff must bring a lawsuit. If the plaintiff fails to file the lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires, then she generally loses her opportunity to do so.

Purpose

The purpose of a statute of limitation is twofold. First, it allows a plaintiff enough time to make an informed decision before deciding to file a lawsuit. Second, it limits the amount of time that passes to ensure that a defendant still will have access to evidence and witnesses to aid in the defense.

Texas Statute of Limitations

In Texas, the statute of limitations for a personal injury lawsuit is two years. Therefore, if a victim is unable to settle his personal injury accident claim out of court within two years, he will need to file a lawsuit in court to preserve his right to receive compensation.

References

• Findlaw: Texas Civil Statute of Limitations