In most states, YES. But you must act fast once you reach the age of majority. And the hard part is often obtaining evidence.
Children or minors (typically those under 18) are frequently injured as the result of another’s negligent or intentional conduct. For example, car crashes, dog bites, and other incidents sometimes occur and cause long lasting damage. But sometimes the victim does not even know that they have a potential case. And nothing is done. After an injury, adult victims have a limited period to bring suit which is determined by their state’s statute of limitations which is frequently 2 or 3 years. For adults, if they fail to bring suit within that time period, they are out of luck. But if you are injured through the fault of another while you are a minor– in many states the statute of limitations does not even START to run until you turn 18.
If you were injured as a minor in Virginia, Washington DC, or Maryland, call the Law Office of Stan M. Doerrer PLLC to see if you still have a case. In Virginia, for example, the two year statute of limitations for injuries does not even start to run until you turn 18. So most minors who are victims have until the day before their 20th birthday to bring a lawsuit. In many cases, the primary difficulty in this type of case is that the case may be stale due to time. For example, if the incident is unreported, it may be hard to prove fault later. People’s memories fade, and evidence disappears. But if there are good records of the incident or witnesses, there is still the possibility of a lawsuit. In some circumstances, such as for childhood victims of sexual assault there are additional laws that come into play that may give you even more time to bring a lawsuit.
The Law Office of Stan M. Doerrer has experience assisting adults with injuries suffered when they were children. Although these cases can be difficult, they are often worth pursuing, especially if the incident caused severe, long-lasting harm. Email stan@doerrerlaw.com if you were injured as a child and need legal counsel.
