The Review Spring 2014 | Page 7

of a claim, the three year timescale will begin again from the date of their death which allows their family time to continue with the claim on behalf of the deceased’s estate. ■■ ■■ ■■ In cases involving children, the three year time period runs from the child’s 18th birthday. If the injury occurs outside the UK, the time limit for making a claim for compensation may be different, as laws differ in each country. If you are injured at sea, in an aeroplane or even in a hot air balloon, you may only have two years to bring a claim, as a result of the terms of international conventions. Other legal actions have different deadlines. For example, in a contract claim, you have six years from the date when the contract was breached. In a claim for fraud, the deadline is normally six years from the date that the fraud was uncovered. It is therefore exceptionally important, before considering whether you wish to make a legal claim, to determine whether or not the time for bringing such a claim has expired. If the time has expired then you may be prevented from claiming. Obtaining legal advice sooner rather than later is therefore very important. P6