The statute of limitations is a statute that sets a deadline for you to file a lawsuit over a claim. If you miss the deadline, your claim becomes worthless. In Washington, the general statute of limitations is three years – three years from the date of the injury in a personal injury lawsuit, and three years from the date of death in a wrongful death lawsuit. Certain exceptions exist – plaintiffs who were minors (under 18) when the claim arose can wait until their 21st birthday to file a lawsuit, for example.
To beat the statute of limitations, all you have to do is properly file the lawsuit. File the papers in a form that is acceptable to the clerk, pay the filing fee, and wait for the state to properly serve papers on the defendant. Once you do that, you have beaten the deadline no matter how long it takes to resolve your claim after the lawsuit is filed.