Generally, a wrongful death claim must be filed within two years of the date of death to be brought within the legally mandated timeframe called the statute of limitations. However, this can be either extended or shortened in very specific circumstances. One such instance is when the wrongful death is caused by a crime (this can even refer to a traffic offense) – this tolls (or pauses) the statute of limitations from the date of the violation until a final disposition of the criminal charge or for six years, whichever is shorter. Once that time period elapses or the charges are resolved, the more typical two-year statute begins to run. If a government employee caused a wrongful death, the amount of time within which the family can legally bring a wrongful death case can vary depending upon which branch of government is involved –the statute of limitation can be as short as six months.