Every state imposes a legal deadline — called the statute of limitations — on personal injury claims. If you miss it, you may lose your right to seek compensation entirely, regardless of how strong your case is. In this video, board-certified truck accident attorney Daniel W. Munley explains how this deadline works in truck accident cases.
What You’ll Learn
- What Pennsylvania’s two-year statute of limitations means for your truck accident claim
- How exceptions — involving minors or government defendants — can affect the deadline
- Why waiting costs you evidence and leverage even before the deadline passes
- What happens if you miss the filing deadline
In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims — including truck accident cases — is two years from the date of the crash. That means you have two years to file a lawsuit in court. If the deadline passes, the court will almost certainly dismiss your case, and the insurance company has no legal obligation to compensate you.
Two years may seem like enough time, but the most critical work in truck accident litigation happens in the earliest weeks and months after the crash. Black box data can be overwritten in days. Witnesses’ memories fade. The trucking company’s legal team begins building its defense immediately after the crash is reported.
There are also situations where the standard two-year window is shorter. If a government entity is involved — for example, if the truck was operated by a municipality or government contractor — you may have as little as six months to file a formal notice of claim. Cases involving minor children or victims who were incapacitated at the time of the crash may have different timelines.
Daniel W. Munley is triple board-certified in Truck Accident Law, Civil Trial Law, and Civil Trial Advocacy. He is a former Chair of the American Association for Justice’s Trucking Litigation Group and a recipient of AAJ’s Ring of Honor Award. Do not wait to contact an attorney — the sooner you act, the better your chances of preserving the evidence your case needs.
Speak With a Truck Accident Lawyer Now
Munley Law is the only firm in Pennsylvania with three board-certified truck accident lawyers. We have recovered over $1 billion for injury victims, including a $26 million verdict for a client who suffered a brain injury in a tractor-trailer crash and $19.8 million for the family of three killed by a distracted truck driver.
Contact Munley Law for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win.
