How much time do I have to claim compensation after my injury?

If you have been injured due to the fault of a third party, by law, you have three years to claim compensation. After the lapse of three years, the right to file a law suit in Court is barred and as a result, the right to claim compensation is lost.

Time stars running after the completion of all circumstances that have caused your injury. If you became aware of your injury at a later date, then time starts running on the day you became aware of your injury.

In case the three-year period has expired and upon request, the Court has the discretion to reopen the case. It will only file the lawsuit after the lapse of the three-year period if it deems it fair and once it has taken various factors into account. Note that the above discretion of the court ceases to exist two years after the end of the three-year period.

It is important to contact your personal injury lawyer immediately after the bodily harm you have suffered in order to instruct you on how to collect all relevant evidence and information. The sooner the evidence is collected, the stronger the case will stand in court. The same applies in the event of an out-of-court settlement; the sooner you have all relevant information at hand, the stronger your lawyer’s negotiating position will be.