Your time to file a dog bite injury lawsuit is limited in Illinois. In most cases, you have two years from the date that you were bitten by a dog to file a complaint in an Illinois state court. If you fail to file your dog bite case within that time, then you should expect that the defense will make a motion to the court to dismiss your claim and that the court will grant that motion. You will be left with no recovery.
Don’t Let This Happen to You
There is no reason to risk missing the statute of limitations in a dog bite case. Unlike some other types of injury cases, there is no mistaking a dog bite case. You know, or should know, exactly when you were bitten and you should get prompt medical attention and timely legal help to assist in your recovery.
There Are Exceptions to the Rule
In some rare circumstances, the statute of limitations will be shorter or you will be able to extend the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations will be considered to be “tolled” (in other words, the clock is stopped) while:
- You are a minor.
- You are out of the country on military service.
- You are mentally incompetent.
If no one bring a lawsuit on your behalf during this time, then you may have the right to bring a case when you turn 18, when you return from military service, or when you are deemed mentally competent.
There is No Benefit to Waiting
The more time that you wait before contacting an attorney, the…
- Longer you will wait for your recovery. The sooner you get started seeking a recovery, the sooner that you will have the money necessary to pay for your past, current, and future medical expenses, lost income, pain, suffering, and other damages.
- More you risk unintentionally harming your recovery. You may say something to the dog owner or the dog owner’s insurance company that could hurt your case, for example.
Accordingly, we encourage you to contact us anytime—24/7—via this website or by phone at 1-800-800-5678 to schedule a free consultation to learn more about how a dog bite case works in Illinois and about how to protect your potential recovery from an Illinois dog bite injury.