The claims time limit is 3 years for all personal injury claims either from: 

• The date you suffered from an accident or received clinical treatment, or 3 years from when you became aware that your illness or injury was caused due to the treatment you received. This means that you have to have either settled a claim for compensation or issued court proceedings within the 3 year limit.
• You have up to 3 years from the date of the accident to lodge a claim with the court. It is advisable to start the claims process the sooner the better while the evidence and the memories of you and your witnesses are fresh.

There are exceptions such as cases involving children.  An appropriate adult (usually a parent) can bring a claim before they reach the age of 18, after which time they have 3 years from their 18th birthday in which to settle a claim for compensation or have court proceedings issued.

The other exception being where there is a lack of mental capacity and someone else brings a claim for the adult, in which case there is no time limit to make a claim.

If a loved one has died due to clinical negligence or a personal injury, the 3 year time limit runs from the date of death (so long as the time limit has not already expired). We appreciate that it can be a very upsetting time and we will guide you through the process sympathetically.