The check was for a substantial amount. Best of all, she could save a substantial amount of money for a down payment on her own place. Only those who have made substantial contributions will be considered. The weak can now do substantial harm to the strong. At year's end, the bills, totaling a substantial amount, would be culled and donated to charity.
In North Carolina, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases gives an injured person three years from the date of the injury to go to civil court and file a lawsuit. (N.C. Gen. Stat. section 1-52).
What a statute of limitations is, how it works. Creditors and debt collectors have a limited time window in which to sue debtors for nonpayment of credit card bills. That limit is set by a state's statute of limitations. These laws exist to protect people from claims being brought after evidence has disappeared.