This California guide explains statute of limitations. Start with this action: Know the general deadline: 2 years from injury. Preserve this priority record: Date of accident/injury. Avoid this common gap: Waiting until near the deadline. The sections below organize the evidence, timing, practical questions, and consultation steps that may matter.
Attorney credentials, public sources, and topic guidance reviewed . Visit the full profile for licensing details, verified background, and source links.
Prepare your records and questions, then review the attorney's verified public background before choosing counsel.
Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney
Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.
View Raffi Naljian's full verified profilePrimary identity record
This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full verified attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.
The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.
For statute of limitations, ask how prospective counsel would evaluate Date of accident/injury and address the risk of Waiting until near the deadline. No directory or topic page can determine the right attorney. Compare active-license status, directly relevant experience, communication, fees, conflicts, availability, and who would handle the work, then confirm case fit directly before choosing counsel.
Topic preparation notes
These notes explain what the issue may involve, which documents make the first review stronger, and when a direct consultation may be more useful than further browsing.
First action: Know the general deadline: 2 years from injury. Next action: Government claims: 6 months deadline. Keep the order tied to actual dates so an attorney can distinguish completed actions, open requests, and assumptions.
Start with Date of accident/injury and Date you discovered injury (if delayed). Add Identity of potential defendants as a separate source, preserving who created or controls each item and when it was obtained.
Avoid Waiting until near the deadline. Also guard against Not knowing government claim deadlines. A useful file separates confirmed facts, disputed points, and records that still need to be requested.
California evidence brief
California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 generally provides two years for an action involving injury or death caused by another’s wrongful act or neglect. That is only a starting point. Claims involving public entities can require a much earlier administrative presentation, and other facts may change accrual, tolling, parties, or the applicable rule. Identify every possible defendant and event date promptly and have the deadline reviewed for the specific facts.
Record the incident date, injury discovery, diagnosis dates, the claimant’s age and capacity, later related events, death if applicable, and every written notice. Attach the source document for each date.
Why it matters: Deadline analysis depends on facts, not just the date someone first contacts a lawyer. A chronology helps counsel test which event may control and whether an exception or different claim type requires review.
List vehicle owners, employers, contractors, property owners, manufacturers, schools, transit operators, cities, counties, and state agencies that may be connected. Do not assume a uniform deadline applies to all of them.
Why it matters: California Government Code section 911.2 generally requires certain injury or property claims against public entities to be presented within six months. Proper recipient and presentation rules require separate analysis.
Keep insurer communications, settlement discussions, requests for records, and promises of review on a separate timeline. Obtain written legal analysis before treating any discussion as extending a deadline.
Why it matters: An open claim or friendly negotiation does not automatically establish that a court filing or government presentation is timely. Waiting for an adjuster response can consume critical time.
Primary statutory text for the general two-year period applicable to specified injury and wrongful-death actions.
Primary statutory text for the general presentation period for specified claims involving public entities.
These sources provide general California context. Deadlines, admissibility, available claims, and required proof depend on the specific facts and should be reviewed individually.
Compare the claim facts with the attorney's credentials, listed practice focus, and public sources.
Begin with this step: Know the general deadline: 2 years from injury. Address urgent safety and necessary care before administrative preparation.
Preserve Date of accident/injury and Date you discovered injury (if delayed) as separate sources. Record their dates, custodians, and any unanswered request.
Review the file for Waiting until near the deadline and Not knowing government claim deadlines. Correct missing context without changing or discarding the original record.
Bring the organized records and questions to the consultation. An independent attorney can evaluate the actual facts only after reviewing them and can provide representation only under a separate agreement.
Start with this step: Know the general deadline: 2 years from injury. Next: Government claims: 6 months deadline. Address urgent safety or medical needs first, and seek timely advice if a deadline or changing evidence may matter.
Prioritize these records: Date of accident/injury; Date you discovered injury (if delayed). Keep originals, note where each record came from, and identify anything requested but not yet received rather than treating a missing item as proof of what it would show.
Avoid this gap: Waiting until near the deadline. Preserve the underlying facts and communications, separate what is known from what is assumed, and let a qualified attorney evaluate how the issue applies to the actual matter.
No. This guide is general information. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, and representation begins only if an independent attorney accepts the matter under a separate written agreement.
Compare active-license status, directly relevant experience, communication, fees, conflicts, availability, and who would handle the matter. Use the records and questions in this guide to evaluate case fit, then confirm those points directly before choosing counsel.
Attorney fees and case costs vary. Review the written fee agreement, percentage, litigation costs, repayment terms, and who is responsible for expenses before hiring counsel.
Review the attorney's public background and write down the questions you want answered in a consultation.
Share the basic facts and request help identifying an independent attorney who may be relevant
Secure intake request
The form loads when you reach this section so the rest of the page stays fast.
Important Disclosures
Attorney Advertising. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. This website provides general information, not legal advice. Viewing a page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Independent participating attorneys decide whether to accept a matter, and representation begins only under a separate written agreement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.