Not much time. California has a statute of limitations codified in Civ. Proc. §335.1. The statute of limitations states that you have two years from your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent party or parties. As a general rule, if you fail to file a lawsuit within two years from the accident, your case will likely be dismissed. A notable exception to this rule is if the victim was a minor (i.e., under 18). If your teenage son or daughter was injured in a motorcycle accident, the statute of limitations is tolled until they reach 18. Once they turn 18, they have two years from that point to file a lawsuit.