In a civil setting, a statute of limitation sets a time limit on when one must file a civil lawsuit or lose the opportunity to do so. In other words, if the statute of limitations places a 2 year expiration on a personal injury claim, one must file the claim within two years of the injury or be subject to dismissal. The concept dates back to Roman law and is designed to prevent fraudulent or stale claims from being brought after a reasonable period of time when evidence and memories disappear regarding the events surrounding the claim. The amount of time differs depending on the nature of the claim and is set by our legislature.