Personal injury compensation refers to monetary payments that are made by a negligent party when their negligence has resulted in harm to another person. There are certain limits that apply to claims in order for the claimant (the injured party) to be eligible for monetary compensation. For instance, any personal injury compensation claim must be started within the allotted limitation period in order for the person to be eligible to receive any personal injury compensation. This period rarely, if ever, exceeds three years from the date of injury. In some instances the limitation period may start from the time a personal injury is discovered rather than from when it occurred. For instance, if you were exposed to a chemical agent, and were taken to a hospital, you may only be diagnosed with the obvious injuries that present that day. If, however, you were to return to the hospital due to another symptom that may develop, and the physician diagnoses your condition to be the direct result of the chemical exposure, the limitation period would start from the date the later diagnosis was rendered. The limitation period may also be extended when there is a mental illness involved, or when the claimant is under 18 years old.