Statute of Limitations
52 guides on statute of limitations for car accident victims.
Car accident statutes of limitations: how long you actually have to file
A national guide to how car accident statutes of limitations actually work: what starts the clock, what pauses it, and why government claims, wrongful death, and out-of-state crashes each run on their own deadline.
10 min readWyomingCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Wyoming
Wyoming's four-year deadline for car accident lawsuits is longer than most states give, but wrongful death claims, claims against the government, and claims involving minors all run on different, shorter clocks.
6 min readDistrict Of ColumbiaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in the District of Columbia
The District gives you three years to sue over a car accident, but a six-month notice deadline for government vehicles, a pure contributory-negligence rule, and a 60-day PIP election window can all end a claim long before that clock runs out.
6 min readVermontCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Vermont
Vermont's statute of limitations gives crash victims three years to sue for injuries and property damage, but minority, incapacity, and an absent at-fault driver can pause that clock. Here's exactly how the deadline works under Vermont law.
5 min readWisconsinCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Wisconsin
Wisconsin gives crash victims three years to sue under Wis. Stat. section 893.54, but wrongful death, government-vehicle claims, minors, and uninsured motorist claims all run on different deadlines.
6 min readWest VirginiaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in West Virginia
West Virginia's standard car accident deadline is two years from the crash, but wrongful death claims, injured minors, and crashes involving government vehicles each follow their own timeline under state law.
6 min readWashingtonCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Washington
Washington law gives injury and property damage claims from a car accident three years to be filed, but tolling rules for minors, absent defendants, and government entities can change the practical deadline.
5 min readVirginiaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Virginia
Virginia's two-year deadline to sue after a car accident sounds simple, but wrongful death, minors, hit-and-run, and government-vehicle claims each run on their own clock.
6 min readUtahCar accident statute of limitations in Utah
Utah's four-year car accident deadline comes from a residual statute, not a personal-injury-specific one, and it shrinks fast for wrongful death claims and any crash involving a government vehicle.
6 min readTexasCar accident statute of limitations in Texas
Texas law gives crash victims two years to sue under Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003, but wrongful death, minors, and claims against government vehicles all run on different clocks.
6 min readSouth DakotaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in South Dakota
South Dakota's deadline to sue after a car accident is three years from the crash date, but minors, property damage claims, and government-vehicle crashes each run on a different clock.
7 min readTennesseeCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Tennessee
Tennessee's statute of limitations for car accident claims is one year, one of the shortest deadlines in the country. Minors, fatal crashes, government vehicles, and uninsured motorist claims each run on a different clock.
6 min readSouth CarolinaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in South Carolina
South Carolina's three-year deadline for car accident lawsuits is only the starting point: wrongful death, government drivers, minors, and hit-and-run claims each run on their own clock.
7 min readRhode IslandCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Rhode Island
Rhode Island gives injury victims three years to sue after a car accident, but claims against a city, the state, or over a death move on much shorter clocks. Here's what the actual statutes say, section by section.
6 min readPennsylvaniaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania gives you two years to sue over a car accident, but that number hides several different clocks depending on who you're suing and what you're claiming.
6 min readOregonCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Oregon
Oregon's two-year injury deadline under ORS 12.110 is just the headline rule. Government vehicles, fatal crashes, minors, and dram shop claims all run on different, often much shorter, clocks.
5 min readOklahomaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Oklahoma
Oklahoma gives you two years from the crash date to sue over a car accident, but minors, wrongful death, government vehicles, and UM/UIM claims each run on a different clock.
6 min readOhioCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Ohio
Ohio's two-year deadline to sue after a car accident sounds simple, but minors, wrongful death claims, government defendants, and UM/UIM policies each run on their own clock.
6 min readNorth DakotaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in North Dakota
North Dakota gives injury victims six years to sue after a car accident, but wrongful death claims, government claims, and cases involving minors run on very different clocks.
7 min readNew YorkCar Accident Statute of Limitations in New York
New York's three-year car accident deadline under CPLR 214 hides several shorter, separate clocks, for municipal defendants, wrongful death, and no-fault claims, that most drivers never see coming.
7 min readNorth CarolinaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in North Carolina
North Carolina's personal injury deadline is three years from the crash date, but wrongful death claims, minors' claims, and underinsured motorist claims each run on a different clock.
6 min readNew MexicoCar Accident Statute of Limitations in New Mexico
New Mexico's basic deadline for a car accident lawsuit is three years from the crash date, but property damage, wrongful death, government claims, and UM/UIM disputes each run on their own statutory clock.
6 min readNew JerseyCar Accident Statute of Limitations in New Jersey
New Jersey's standard car accident deadline is 2 years, but wrongful death, minors, government vehicles, PIP, and UM/UIM claims each run on their own separate clock.
6 min readNevadaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Nevada
Nevada gives crash victims two years to sue over injuries and three years over vehicle damage, but minors, government defendants, and UM/UIM claims against your own insurer each run on their own clock.
7 min readNew HampshireCar Accident Statute of Limitations in New Hampshire
New Hampshire sets a strict three-year deadline for car accident lawsuits under RSA 508:4, but the state's comparative negligence rule, unusual insurance system, and damage caps change what that deadline actually means for a claim.
7 min readNebraskaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Nebraska
Nebraska's four-year deadline to sue after a car accident sounds simple, but wrongful death claims, injured minors, and crashes involving a government vehicle each run on a different clock.
6 min readMissouriCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Missouri
Missouri sets a 5-year deadline for car accident injury and property claims under Section 516.120(4), but wrongful death, minors, and government-vehicle crashes run on different clocks.
6 min readMontanaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Montana
Montana sets a three-year deadline to sue over a car accident injury and a separate two-year deadline for vehicle damage claims, with different rules for minors and government vehicles.
6 min readMississippiCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Mississippi
Mississippi's general 3-year deadline for car accident claims has real exceptions: a 1-year window for claims against government vehicles, extra time for minors, and a wrongful death clock that starts at death, not the crash.
6 min readMichiganCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Michigan
Michigan's headline deadline is three years from the crash, but the state's no-fault system layers a one-year PIP notice deadline, a 120-day government-claim notice, and other shorter clocks on top of it.
7 min readMinnesotaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Minnesota
Minnesota gives you six years from the crash date to sue over injuries or vehicle damage, but wrongful death, dram shop, and government-defendant claims run on much shorter clocks.
7 min readMassachusettsCar accident statute of limitations in Massachusetts
Massachusetts sets a three-year deadline for car accident lawsuits, but wrongful death claims, claims against government vehicles, and claims involving minors each run on a different clock. Here's how each Massachusetts-specific rule and exception actually works.
7 min readMarylandCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Maryland
Maryland's car accident deadline is 3 years, but pure contributory negligence and a 1-year government notice rule mean the real risk shows up long before that deadline arrives.
6 min readMaineCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Maine
Maine's default deadline to sue after a car accident is six years, but that number changes fast if a government vehicle, a fatality, or an injured child is involved. Here's how each Maine-specific clock actually works.
6 min readLouisianaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Louisiana
Louisiana replaced its old 1-year deadline for car accident lawsuits with a 2-year rule in 2024, though fatal crashes, minors, and settlement negotiations each follow their own twist.
7 min readKentuckyCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Kentucky
Kentucky's two-year deadline to sue after a car accident isn't fixed: insurance payments, a minor's age, a death, or a city road defect can all move it.
6 min readIowaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Iowa
Iowa gives crash victims two years to sue for injuries and five years for vehicle damage, but minors, government defendants, and wrongful death claims each follow their own rule under the Iowa Code.
6 min readKansasCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Kansas
Kansas law gives crash victims two years to sue for injury or property damage under K.S.A. 60-513, but wrongful death, minors, government defendants, and PIP/UM claims each follow a different deadline.
6 min readIndianaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Indiana
Indiana law gives you two years from a car accident to file suit, but that clock changes for wrongful death, claims against the government, minors, and uninsured motorist coverage.
7 min readIllinoisCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Illinois
Illinois' standard car accident deadline is two years from the crash date, but wrongful death, government-vehicle, minor, and drunk-driving claims each run on their own clock.
6 min readIdahoCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Idaho
Idaho's personal injury deadline is two years from the crash date under Idaho Code 5-219(4), with separate rules for wrongful death, injured minors, and property damage claims.
7 min readGeorgiaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Georgia
Georgia gives you two years from the crash date to sue for a car accident injury, but vehicle damage, wrongful death, and claims against government vehicles all run on their own, very different deadlines.
6 min readFloridaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Florida
Florida cut its car accident filing deadline from four years to two in 2023, but UM claims, wrongful death, government defendants, and minors each run on a different clock.
6 min readHawaiiCar accident statute of limitations in Hawaii
Hawaii sets a two-year deadline for car accident lawsuits under Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 657-7, but minors, wrongful death claims, government defendants, and Hawaii's no-fault PIP system each run on their own separate clock.
7 min readConnecticutCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Connecticut
Connecticut's statute of limitations for car accidents is 2 years from discovery of the injury, capped at 3 years from the crash. Minors get no tolling, and claims against a town or the state face much shorter notice deadlines.
6 min readDelawareCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Delaware
Delaware's core deadline is two years from the crash date to sue, but minors, government vehicles, wrongful death, and UM/UIM claims each run on their own variation of that clock.
7 min readColoradoCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Colorado
Colorado's three-year deadline to sue after a car accident is longer than most states, but wrongful death claims, claims against government vehicles, and UM/UIM claims each run on their own, often shorter, timeline.
7 min readCaliforniaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in California
California gives crash victims two years to sue, but that clock changes fast if a government vehicle, an injured child, or vehicle damage is involved. Here's how California's specific deadlines actually work.
6 min readArizonaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Arizona
Most Arizona car accident claims must be filed within two years of the crash under A.R.S. § 12-542, but claims against a government driver, your own UM/UIM insurer, or a bar under the dram shop law run on very different, often much shorter deadlines.
6 min readArkansasCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Arkansas
Arkansas's three-year deadline to sue after a car accident hides several state-specific exceptions: wrongful death runs from the date of death, minors get until age 21, and claims against government vehicles follow a different process entirely.
6 min readAlaskaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Alaska
Alaska's two-year deadline for car accident claims comes with real exceptions: a separate clock for wrongful death, tolling for minors until age 20, and caps on damages that shape what a claim is worth.
6 min readAlabamaCar Accident Statute of Limitations in Alabama
Alabama's personal injury deadline is 2 years from the crash date, but wrongful death, property damage, and claims against a government vehicle each run on their own clock. Here's exactly how those deadlines work under Alabama law.
6 min read