The Statute of Limitations to File an Injury Lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles

You might be asking yourself the following questions:

• What is the deadline to sue the City of Los Angeles for a trip and fall?
• What is the deadline to sue the City of Los Angeles for a slip and fall?
• What is the deadline to sue the City of Los Angeles for assault and battery?
• What is the deadline to sue the City of Los Angeles for sexual assault?

If you or a member of your family suffered any sort of incident on LA City property or at the hands of a city employee, you could certainly have grounds to file an injury claim – or even a wrongful death claims. When the defendant is the City of Los Angeles, for instance, affected parties must file a government claim. The government claim process is different than the regular personal injury process that most people are more familiar with.

Below, we will help you understand the process of filing a government claim against the city of Los Angeles for the harm that you or a loved one suffered.

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What is a Statute of Limitations?

All claims are subject to a statute of limitations – or a deadline to sue. The statute of limitations determines the total length of time that claimants have to file their claims. If claimants do not file their claims on time, then they run the risk of losing their right to sue. In other words, if you do not file your claim on time, you could lose your right to sue entirely. Because of this, it is important that you understand the deadline that applies to your claim – and it is even more important that you file your claim on time.

How Long Do I Have to File a Government Claim?

Government claims, or claims against government entities like cities, are subject to a much stricter statute of limitations when compared to regular personal injury claims. So, how long do you have to file an accident claim against the City of Los Angeles? What is the statute of limitations to file an injury claim against the City of Los Angeles? Affected parties must file an administrative claim directly with the government office/agency involved within 6 months of the date of injury.

After filing this claim, the government office/agency will have 45 days to respond to you. If they respond and deny your claim during this timeframe, you will have 6 months from the date of the denial to file a lawsuit in court. If you do not receive a rejection notice within the 45-day period, then your claim is considered denied, but you will have 2 years to file your claim in court.

This deadline applies to all government claims, including trip and fall claims, slip and fall claims, assault and battery claims, and sexual assault claims against the City of Los Angeles. No matter the type of accident on LA City property that occurs, the same deadline applies. For more information about the time that you have to file a government claim, contact us today.

A Summary of the Government Claim Process

In usual personal injury claims, a claimant, with the help of their lawyer, can file a claim against the liable party or entity (and usually their insurance company) for the damages suffered. If no resolution comes, then a lawsuit is filed in court.

With government claims, before even filing a lawsuit in court, the claimant must file something called an administrative claim directly with the government office or entity involved in the incident. What does this mean? If you were injured on a Metro city bus, then you would have to file an administrative claim with Metro. If your child was injured at an LAUSD school, then you would have to file an administrative claim with the school district. If you tripped and fell on a sidewalk that was broken and poorly maintained, then you would have to file an administrative claim with the city agency responsible for sidewalk maintenance, for example. It is important to note that each of these offices/agencies have different forms and methods for submitting these claims.

As mentioned above, the city office or agency has 45 days to respond to the administrative claim. In some cases, the city office/agency will respond within this timeframe and actually agree to pay damages. When the city office/agency responds with rejection or outright fails to respond, then claimants can file a lawsuit with court to fight for the damages that they are owed.

We understand that filing a lawsuit against a government entity could seem very intimidating. However, with the proper representation, victims and their families could successfully take on the City of Los Angeles and recover the damages that they are owed after accidents or other incidents on city property. For more information, contact the experts here at our law firm today.

The Normandie Law Firm Is Ready to Help You!

If you or a member of your family was injured in a slip and fall, trip and fall, assault and battery, sexual assault, or any other incident on city property, you could have the right to file a government claim – you could also be entitled to significant monetary compensation, which could include medical costs, lost pay, pain and suffering, punitive damages, legal fees, and, in wrongful death claims, funeral/burial costs and loss of consortium. The lawyers here at our law firm have decades of experience handling all sorts claims, including government claims. To make the legal process as simple as possible for our clients, we offer free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. Our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and ensure that you have access to all the information that you need to either begin or continue your government claim. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients will never have to pay any upfront legal costs. In addition, our strict contingency structure ensures that our clients will never have to pay anything unless they win their claims.

If you are ready to speak with our personal injury lawyers in Los Angeles experienced with government claims, contact us today. Our team is ready to fight for your rights and help you recover the compensation that you are owed.

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