Construction defects and the statute of limitations
Almost everyone in California’s construction industry is familiar with the idea that they can be held liable for defects in their work. This can be true for architects and designers, as well as contractors and subcontractors, surveyors and others involved in the construction. Unfortunately, it’s less clear how long this liability can last. The statute of limitations for construction defects is complicated. A legal deadline A statute of limitations presents a kind of legal deadline. For instance, in a personal injury lawsuit arising from a car accident, the statute of limitations in California generally gives the injured party two years to make a claim. This means the injured party will likely be barred from filing suit against the other party unless they do so within two years of the accident. Most types of civil claims have a statute that imposes a time limit, but some provide more time than others. For some claims, the clock starts ticking on the day a problem begins, such as the day of a car accident. For other claims, the clock starts ticking the day the injured party learns about the problem. Patent and latent defects Under California’s construction defect laws, the statute of limitations