Statute of Limitations Gives Kids a Break

The statute of limitations in Washington sets different time periods for bringing different kinds of claims. Some statutes are very short. Others are as long as ten years. Most (but not all) injury claims are subject to a three year statute of limitations.

There are a couple of exceptions to the statute of limitations. One of the most notable is the “tolling” of the statute for children who are injured before they turn 18. Tolling means, essentially, to suspend. That means if a child is hurt in a car accident the clock doesn’t start ticking on the child’s claim until he or she turns 18.

Once the child turns 18 the statute of limitations starts to run. There are some “exceptions” to this exception. But the main take-away is that if you or someone else was hurt when you were a child, there is still an opportunity to bring a claim even though the injury may have happened up to 21 years (18 + 3) ago.