You have only a limited time to sue: In most states, the statute of limitations for filing a vehicle accident claim is between one and two years. If you don’t sue within that time, you give up your right to sue forever. You may also need to file a police report or notice within a given period of time. If you don’t sue in time, if you don’t sue for the right damages or sue the right defendants, and if you lose your case as a result of improperly presenting your information, you will be barred from ever suing again. This means you will have used up your only chance for recovery and you will be stuck with all the costs and bills as a result of the accident that someone else carelessly caused.