The statute of limitations deadline is a deadline for filing a lawsuit over a claim. Once you file the lawsuit (you turn in the required paperwork along with the filing fee, and the court accepts your filing after finding that your papers are in order), you have beaten the statute of limitations, no matter how long it takes to ultimately resolve your claim.
In Washington, the statute of limitations is three years after the claim arises. In a personal injury lawsuit, a claim generally arises on the date of your injury, while in a wrongful death lawsuit, the claim arises on the date when the victim dies. One important exception applies – the three-year period for a personal injury claim begins running on the date when your injury was discovered (or should have been discovered) if your injury was of the sort that would not be easy to discover immediately – a defective drug damaged your liver without your immediate knowledge, for example.
If you miss the statute of limitations deadline, your claim will be dead – you cannot even settle it out of court. Let a winning Auburn personal injury lawyer handle your case.