Statutes of Limitation
A statute of limitations sets a limit of the maximum amount of time after a wrong occurs in which a person harmed by that wrong may file a lawsuit. These limitations periods can be suspended (“tolled”) for certain reasons, including when the person harmed is a minor child or is not mentally capable of understanding that he or she has been harmed.
If a person is under the age of majority or mentally incompetent when a cause of action accrues, the time while the person is under that disability is not counted as part of the limitations period. However, the limitations period cannot be extended by more than 21 years.