In personal injury civil lawsuits, there is a statute of limitations that varies according to the state and the cause of injury. The statute of limitations is a set amount of time in which you can file a suit before your case expires.

The statute can be very straightforward. Let’s say, for example, that you suffer from a swimming pool injury because the diving board broke at the local community center. The cause of your injuries should be very obvious, and you can and should get started talking with a personal injury lawyer quickly. In Tennessee you will typically have about a year after that initial accident to file your case (although you’ll sometimes have more).

But what happens when the injury isn’t so obvious? For example, what if you worked as a construction worker and were exposed to asbestos, but you didn’t realize you had mesothelioma until years later? That is where the Discovery Rule fits in.

The Discovery Rule refers to the amount of time it took you – or should reasonably take you – to find out about, or discover, the wrong in question. The statute of limitations often starts counting down according to that timetable.

The Discovery Rule can vary greatly depending on the type of injury, so if you think you may have a personal injury case, you should talk with one of our Memphis TN personal injury attorneys. We can help you figure out how the timeline might affect your case. Contact us today or call 901-327-1212.