According to Black’s Law Dictionary, a Statute of Limitations is defined as a time frame set by legislation where affected parties need to take action to enforce rights or seek redress after injury of damage. Put another way, a claimant does not have until the end of time to pursue a cause of action for injury or damages sustained by that person. The result would be catastrophic as evidence erodes over time, memories fade, and the ability to effectively pursue a claim diminishes with each passing day. As a result, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has set standards by which a claimant can pursue certain causes of action. These standards limit the time in which a person may file his or her claim in the proper court.
While various areas of the law have different statutes of limitations attached to them, under Massachusetts General Laws C. 260, § 2A:
“Except as otherwise provided, actions of tort, actions of contract to recover for personal injuries, and actions of replevin, shall be commenced only within three years next after the cause of action accrues.” Continue reading →