Deadlines for Mass Tort Claims in California
Deadlines are one of the most important — and most misunderstood — parts of a mass tort. They are time-sensitive, they differ from matter to matter, and in some situations the clock relates to when you discovered the harm rather than when it began. Understanding them early protects your claim.
Why deadlines here are tricky
A product's harm sometimes surfaces years after use, so the law's deadlines can involve when you knew or should have known that the product caused your injury. That, plus deadlines set by each specific matter, means the timing is genuinely fact-dependent and should not be assumed.
Why early advice matters
Getting advice soon protects your options — it lets us confirm the deadlines that apply to your situation, check whether an active matter is still open, and preserve the medical and product records your claim depends on before they are harder to obtain.
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Frequently asked questions
The injury was years ago. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. For some product harms, the deadline can relate to when you discovered — or reasonably should have discovered — that the product caused your injury. Because it is fact-specific, it is worth confirming rather than assuming. A free review can tell you where you stand.
California law — what people ask
How long do I have to file an injury claim in California?
Generally two years from the date you were hurt. If a government entity is involved — a city vehicle, a public road, a public hospital — you usually have to present a formal claim to that agency within roughly six months before you can sue at all, which catches people out far more often than the two-year date.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault in California?
Yes. California uses pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than barred — even if your share turns out to be the larger one. There is no cutoff percentage that ends a claim here.
Does California cap what I can recover?
Not in an ordinary injury case. Medical-malpractice claims are the main exception, where non-economic damages are limited by a cap that steps up over time. For most claims — car crashes, falls, defective products — there is no statutory ceiling.
What if more than one person was responsible?
California splits the analysis: defendants can be jointly responsible for your economic losses such as medical bills and lost income, while non-economic damages like pain and suffering are apportioned to each defendant by its own share of fault.
The driver who hit me had no insurance. What now?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is usually the answer, and it commonly applies to hit-and-run collisions as well. Check every policy in the household, not only the one covering the car you were in.
Will the jury hear that my health insurance paid my bills?
Generally not. California follows the collateral source rule, so a wrongdoer does not get credit for insurance you paid for. How your medical damages are measured is a separate and often contested question.
Injury law in California
California injury law shapes your case in a few specific ways worth knowing early.
- Filing deadline: You generally have two years from the date of the injury to file — and only about six months to put a government entity on notice before you can sue.
- Fault: California follows pure comparative negligence, so you can still recover even if you were partly — or mostly — at fault, with your recovery reduced by your share of the blame.
- Damage caps: An ordinary California injury case has no cap on damages; medical-malpractice claims are the main exception.
- Uninsured drivers: California sets minimum auto-insurance limits and uninsured/underinsured-motorist rules that affect what coverage is available.
Related mass tort topics
California injury law
This is general information about California injury law, not legal advice. Every case is different.
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