{"id":21503,"date":"2026-08-15T16:14:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T16:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chglawyers.com\/resources\/paralysis-injury-lawyer\/paralysis-lawsuit-statute-of-limitations-florida\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T21:55:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T21:55:51","slug":"paralysis-lawsuit-statute-of-limitations-florida","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chglawyers.com\/resources\/paralysis-injury-lawyer\/paralysis-lawsuit-statute-of-limitations-florida\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida Paralysis Lawsuit Statute of Limitations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/span>\"Person
\n

Florida Catastrophic Injury Law<\/p>

The Deadline to File a Florida Paralysis Lawsuit Can Pass Faster Than You Think<\/h1>

Spinal cord injuries and paralysis change life permanently. Florida law sets a limited window to bring a claim — and missing it can mean losing your right to recover anything at all. Here's what families need to know.<\/p>\n

Request a Free Case Evaluation<\/a><\/div>
Request a Free Case Evaluation<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Why Families Turn to CHG Personal Injury Lawyers<\/h2>\n

<\/span><\/p>

Nationwide<\/h3>

Catastrophic injury cases accepted<\/p><\/div>

<\/span><\/p>

Bilingual<\/h3>

English & Spanish resources<\/p><\/div>

<\/span><\/p>

Florida Bar<\/h3>

Licensed, admitted attorneys<\/p><\/div>

<\/span><\/p>

Free<\/h3>

Confidential case evaluation<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

By CHG Lawyers \u00b7 Published August 15, 2026<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

How Long Do You Have to File a Paralysis Lawsuit in Florida?<\/h2>\n

Did the accident happen on or after March 24, 2023? For most Florida negligence cases, you have two years<\/strong> from that date to file a paralysis<\/a> lawsuit. Miss the deadline, and you usually lose the right to recover. That is true no matter how severe the paralysis. This page explains the paralysis lawsuit statute of limitations in Florida<\/strong> in plain language. It also covers the exceptions that can change the timeline.<\/p>\n

You may be reading this in the middle of a crisis. Maybe you were just paralyzed. Maybe you’re caring for someone who was. This is educational information, not legal advice about your specific case. Still, knowing the clock early can protect your options later.<\/p>\n\n

\"Young<\/figure>\n\n
\n

If you're facing this, you don't have to sort out the legal timeline alone, or on the worst days. Talk it through with our team — the first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.<\/p>

Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div>
Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The short answer: how long you have to file<\/h2>\n

A “statute of limitations” is simply a legal deadline to bring a claim. In Florida, this deadline is generally two years<\/strong> from the date you were hurt. That rule applies to most negligence injury cases that happen on or after March 24, 2023. See Fla. Stat. \u00a795.11<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Did your injury happen before<\/em> that date? Then a longer four-year deadline generally applied. So the date of the accident matters a great deal.<\/p>\n

If you miss the deadline, a court will usually dismiss your case. The severity of the paralysis does not change that. That’s why families often start learning about the timeline while their loved one is still in the hospital.<\/p>\n

The rules below have real exceptions. We’ll walk through them. But don’t assume an exception applies to you without a careful look at your facts.<\/p>\n

Why the deadline changed in March 2023<\/h2>\n

In 2023, Florida shortened the general negligence deadline from four years to two years. A tort-reform law called HB 837 made that change. You can see it in Fla. Stat. \u00a795.11<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The key point is simple. The date you were injured decides which deadline applies. Accidents on or after March 24, 2023, generally fall under the new two-year rule. Older injuries may still follow the four-year rule.<\/p>\n

You don’t need to memorize statute numbers. You just need to know one thing: the clock started running the day you were hurt.<\/p>\n

What this page covers: catastrophic, permanent paralysis<\/h2>\n

This page focuses on life-altering paralysis. That includes paraplegia<\/strong> (loss of function in the legs and lower body). It also includes quadriplegia<\/strong>, also called tetraplegia<\/a> (loss of function in the arms and legs). These usually come from a serious spinal cord injury.<\/p>\n

A spinal cord injury can cause permanent changes in strength, feeling, and body function below the injury. This is according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>. Car crashes and falls are among the leading causes.<\/p>\n

In the cases our attorneys handle, paralysis often follows a truck crash or another severe collision. It can also follow a violent attack on someone else’s property. For example, someone may be shot or assaulted at an apartment complex, parking garage, or hotel. These places sometimes fail to provide basic security, like working locks, lighting, or cameras. A paralysis diagnosis reshapes a family’s whole future. That’s exactly why the timeline matters early.<\/p>\n

When the clock may start later: the discovery rule<\/h2>\n

Sometimes the deadline runs from when you discovered the injury or its cause. In those cases, it does not run from the accident itself. This is called the discovery rule.<\/p>\n

Here are realistic examples. None of these are promises that the rule applies to your case:<\/p>\n