The Two-Year Clock: Why New Jersey’s Statute of Limitations Still Trips Up Plaintiffs
For New Jersey practitioners, the two-year clock is familiar. For many clients, it is not. Bridging that gap—through early consultation, clear communication, and careful analysis—remains one of the most important functions of legal representation.
New Jersey’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is, on its face, straightforward. Under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2, a plaintiff generally has two years from the date of injury to file suit.
In practice, it is anything but simple.
The two-year period operates as a hard boundary, but the question of when that period begins is often contested. The discovery rule, long recognized by New Jersey courts, allows the clock to start when a plaintiff knew or should have known that an injury was attributable to another’s conduct.
