Getting injured and seeking damages is difficult enough, but it can become even more complicated if a government entity is involved. If you’re injured through the negligence of a California government employee, you’ll need to contact a personal injury lawyer right away. You have only six months to file notice of your claim with the California courts.
The reason you have such a short statute of limitations to file a notice of claim when your personal injury suit involves a California government entity or employee is that governments are typically entitled to legal immunity due to a concept known as “sovereign immunity.”
This means that you need to follow strict rules when suing them. California has enacted tort claim laws that require plaintiffs in personal injury cases to follow specific steps in order to sue. It’s a good idea to speak with a personal injury attorney in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California when this is the case.
If you’re involved in an accident in which a California state government agency or employee is at fault, you should file a notice of claim as soon as possible. Do this regardless of whether the government agency’s or employee’s role in your injuries was clear-cut.
You have six months to file under California Government Code Sec. 910 if your claim is against a state, county, or local government. The notice of claim gives the government entity in question a chance to not only act to prevent further injury, but also to allow for any possible damages in their next yearly budget.
It’s probably most helpful to think of the notice filing process as an informal means of collecting damages. Once you have filed a notice of claim, the government will either accept or deny it. If it’s denied, you can go ahead and sue.
If you’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence, seeking compensation can be a difficult task to manage alone—especially if you are up against the government. Fortunately, our attorneys can help. Contact Haffner Law at 213-514-5681 or fill out the form on our website to schedule a free consultation right away.
