Yes - if you get this wrong, you can lose the injury claim entirely and with it any chance to recover the VA-paid medical costs tied to the crash.

• In Massachusetts, the basic deadline for most injury claims is 3 years from the date of the accident. If you were hit near a Lowell school zone, bus stop, or on roads like Gorham Street or the Connector during back-to-school traffic, that 3-year clock usually controls the lawsuit.

• If a city vehicle, Lowell public school bus, or other public employer caused the injury, it gets tighter. Under the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act, you generally must make a presentment claim within 2 years to the correct public official - often the Lowell City Manager - before suing. Miss that, and the case can be barred even if the 3-year lawsuit deadline has not passed.

• If the crash involved your own auto policy, separate insurance deadlines can matter fast. Massachusetts PIP benefits can help with medical bills and lost wages, but insurers want prompt notice, and delay gives them room to deny or underpay.

• The VA and the civilian claim are separate systems. Using VA care does not cancel your right to pursue the at-fault driver or their insurer. But the VA may seek reimbursement for non-service-connected injury treatment from the liability recovery, so settlement money is not always all yours to keep.

• If the injured person is a minor, the injury lawsuit deadline can be extended, but a parent's related claims - like out-of-pocket expenses - may not wait the same way. If a child was hurt getting on or off a school bus in Lowell, that distinction matters.

• If black ice, snow buildup, or bad road maintenance played a role, a claim against a public entity may raise notice and immunity issues that are different from an ordinary car-crash case.

The dates that matter most are the accident date, the date any public entity was involved, and when the VA started paying bills.