Personal Injury Statute of Limitations by State
A statute of limitations is a legal deadline by which a lawsuit has to be filed. Each statute names the event its clock starts from, and for an injury claim that can be the date of the injury itself: the crash, the fall, the medical error, the workplace incident. A claim filed after the period expires can be barred however strong the underlying facts are.
Deadlines vary by state and by case type within the same state. A medical malpractice claim can run on a different period from an ordinary injury claim. Wrongful death can differ from the injury claim underneath it. Workers' compensation runs on an entirely separate administrative clock. The table below covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and every figure in it is read from our state-law data rather than typed into this page.
Why this deadline matters more than anything else
Missing the filing deadline is the one mistake the rest of a case cannot make up for. A claimant with heavy documented damages, clear liability and every piece of evidence preserved can lose the claim on the deadline alone. Treat the date as fixed, and confirm it early.
The discovery rule is one exception, in the states and for the claims where it applies. Under it, the clock does not begin until the injured person knew, or through reasonable diligence should have known, both that they were injured and that someone else's conduct caused it. It is raised in medical malpractice, where harm is not always apparent at the time, and in latent injury cases such as toxic exposure.
Tolling, meaning pausing the clock, is available in limited circumstances, and which ones depends on the state: for example while the injured person is a minor, during legal incapacity, where the defendant concealed the injury or their identity, or while the defendant is absent from the state. A claim against a government entity can carry its own notice requirement that has to be satisfied first, and it can be far shorter than the civil deadline. We hold no verified figure for it, so confirm that one with an attorney immediately if a public body may be involved.
Filing deadlines by state and case type
All values are in years, and every one is read from our state-law data. The workers' comp column is the deadline to file a claim with the state board, which is a different proceeding from a civil lawsuit, not a substitute for one. Exceptions and tolling rules can extend or shorten any of these, so treat the table as a starting point and confirm your own deadline with an attorney in your state.
| State | Personal injury | Med malpractice | Wrongful death | Workers' comp | Slip and fall | Dog bite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Alaska | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Arizona | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr |
| Arkansas | 3 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| California | 2 yr | 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 1 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Colorado | 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Connecticut | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr (see the note under this table) |
| Delaware | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| District of Columbia | 3 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| Florida | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | Pending (see the note under this table) |
| Georgia | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Hawaii | 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Idaho | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Illinois | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Indiana | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Iowa | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Kansas | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Kentucky | 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 1 yr | 1 yr (see the note under this table) | at least 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 1 yr | 1 yr |
| Louisiana | 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 1 yr (see the note under this table) | at least 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 1 yr | 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr (see the note under this table) |
| Maine | 6 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 6 yr | 6 yr |
| Maryland | 3 yr | 3 yr (see the note under this table) | 3 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| Massachusetts | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 4 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| Michigan | 3 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| Minnesota | 6 yr (see the note under this table) | 4 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 6 yr (see the note under this table) | 6 yr (see the note under this table) |
| Mississippi | 3 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| Missouri | 5 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 5 yr | 5 yr |
| Montana | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 1 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| Nebraska | 4 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 4 yr | 4 yr |
| Nevada | 2 yr | 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | Pending (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| New Hampshire | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| New Jersey | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| New Mexico | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| New York | 3 yr | 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| North Carolina | 3 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| North Dakota | 6 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr | 6 yr | 6 yr |
| Ohio | 2 yr | 1 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 2 yr (see the note under this table) |
| Oklahoma | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Oregon | 2 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 1 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Pennsylvania | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Rhode Island | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| South Carolina | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| South Dakota | 3 yr | 2 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| Tennessee | at least 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 1 yr | 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 1 yr | at least 1 yr (see the note under this table) | at least 1 yr (see the note under this table) |
| Texas | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Utah | 4 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 2 yr | at least 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 4 yr | 4 yr |
| Vermont | 3 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr | Pending (see the note under this table) | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| Virginia | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Washington | 3 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr | 1 yr (see the note under this table) | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| West Virginia | 2 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | Pending (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 2 yr |
| Wisconsin | 3 yr | 3 yr | 2 yr (see the note under this table) | 2 yr | 3 yr | 3 yr |
| Wyoming | 4 yr | 2 yr | 2 yr | 1 yr | 4 yr | 4 yr |
Some cells read "Pending" rather than a number: 3 in the workers' comp column and 1 in the dog bite column. That is not an oversight. In each case the real window is either shorter than a year, which a table counting whole years cannot express, or it could not be established from a primary source. Rounding either one into a number would tell you that you have more time than you do, so we publish nothing and say why underneath.
FloridaDog biteNo figure published
Florida runs a 2-year period for negligence claims and a 4-year period for claims founded on statutory liability, and Fla. Stat. 767.04 creates statutory dog-bite liability. Which period governs was not resolved from a primary source, so no figure is published here. Ask a Florida attorney about your filing deadline before you rely on any number.NevadaWorkers' compNo figure published
NRS 616C.020 generally requires the claim form within 90 days of the accident or of learning of an occupational disease. Our filing-deadline field counts whole years, so it cannot state a 90-day window, and rounding it to 1 year would tell you that you have roughly four times the time you actually do. Act now and ask a Nevada attorney or the Division of Industrial Relations about your deadline.VermontWorkers' compNo figure published
21 V.S.A. 656 generally requires proceedings to begin within 6 months of the injury, subject to the statute's payment and knowledge provisions. Our filing-deadline field counts whole years, so it cannot state a 6-month window, and rounding it up would tell you that you have twice the time you actually do. Ask a Vermont attorney or the Department of Labor about your deadline.West VirginiaWorkers' compNo figure published
W. Va. Code 23-4-15 generally requires the application within 6 months of the injury or death, with separate rules for occupational disease. Our filing-deadline field counts whole years, so it cannot state a 6-month window, and rounding it up would tell you that you have twice the time you actually do. Ask a West Virginia attorney or the Insurance Commissioner's office about your deadline.ColoradoPersonal injury
Colorado's filing deadline for a motor-vehicle injury claim is three years, under C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I), not the two-year general personal-injury period in C.R.S. § 13-80-102(1)(a). The three-year provision covers "All tort actions for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle", and in City and County of Denver v. Gonzales the Colorado Supreme Court applied it in place of the general two-year period. The same paragraph makes an exception: it does "not apply to any action for strict liability, absolute liability, or failure to instruct or warn governed by the provisions of section 13-80-102 (1)(b) or section 13-80-106". A claim of that kind runs on a different period, which this page does not state because we have not read those two provisions. If any part of your claim is of that kind, speak to a licensed Colorado attorney before relying on three years. Riding a bicycle? This provision can reach a cyclist's claim in Colorado only where a car or other motor vehicle was involved in the crash, and a crash that involved no motor vehicle runs on Colorado's general personal-injury period instead. The bicycle accident calculator shows the period a cyclist's claim in Colorado is given, and why.HawaiiPersonal injury
Hawaii's insurance code sets its own time limit for a motor-vehicle injury claim, HRS § 431:10C-315(b), beside the two-year general personal-injury period in HRS § 657-7. It reads: "No suit arising out of a motor vehicle accident shall be brought in tort more than the later of: (1) Two years after the date of the motor vehicle accident upon which the claim is based; (2) Two years after the date of the last payment of motor vehicle insurance or optional additional benefits; or (3) Two years after the date of the last payment of workers' compensation or public assistance benefits arising from the motor vehicle accident." Two years from the crash is therefore the EARLIEST your deadline can fall and not the deadline itself: where any of those benefits were still being paid after that point, the clock runs from the last payment, and only your own record of those payments fixes the later date. Its text does not say how it relates to HRS § 657-7, and HRS § 431:10C-306 limits which motor-vehicle injuries can be brought as a tort claim at all, so speak to a licensed Hawaii attorney before relying on either date. Riding a motorcycle? This provision can reach a rider's claim in Hawaii only where a car or other motor vehicle was involved in the crash, and a crash that involved no motor vehicle runs on Hawaii's general personal-injury period instead. The motorcycle accident calculator shows the period a rider's claim in Hawaii is given, and why. Riding a bicycle? This provision can reach a cyclist's claim in Hawaii only where a car or other motor vehicle was involved in the crash, and a crash that involved no motor vehicle runs on Hawaii's general personal-injury period instead. The bicycle accident calculator shows the period a cyclist's claim in Hawaii is given, and why.KentuckyPersonal injury
Kentucky's motor-vehicle filing deadline is set by KRS § 304.39-230(6), not by the one-year general personal-injury period in KRS § 413.140(1)(a). That provision gives two years after the injury or the death, or two years after the date of issuance of the last basic or added reparation payment made by any reparation obligor, whichever falls later. Two years from the crash is therefore the EARLIEST your deadline can fall and not the deadline itself: where no-fault payments were still being issued after that point, the clock runs from the last one, and only your own record of those payments fixes the later date. The provision governs tort liability not abolished by KRS § 304.39-060, Kentucky's no-fault threshold, so speak to a licensed Kentucky attorney before relying on either date. Riding a motorcycle? No Kentucky court decision read for this site says whether this provision reaches a rider's claim, so this site gives a rider's claim in Kentucky one year, the general personal-injury period, as the earliest its deadline can fall. The motorcycle accident calculator shows the period a rider's claim in Kentucky is given, and why. Riding a bicycle? No Kentucky court decision read for this site says whether this provision reaches a cyclist's claim, so this site gives a cyclist's claim in Kentucky one year, the general personal-injury period, as the earliest its deadline can fall. The bicycle accident calculator shows the period a cyclist's claim in Kentucky is given, and why.ArkansasPersonal injury
For Arkansas's 3 years, this page quotes the Arkansas Supreme Court in Marcum v. Hodge, 2023 Ark. 103, No. CV-21-521, decided June 15, 2023. That case was about a negligence claim from a car accident, brought against the estate of the other person involved, who had died. The opinion says “This case stems from an automobile accident involving Marcum and Hendricks that occurred on April 15, 2017.” In its own words, the court wrote: “Generally, tort claims are subject to a three-year statute of limitations which begins to run when a negligent act occurs. Grand Valley Ridge, LLC v. Metro. Nat’l Bank, 2012 Ark. 121, at 18, 388 S.W.3d 24, 35; see also Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105(1).” Applying that, it wrote: “The record demonstrates that the automobile accident from which Marcum’s negligence allegations against Hendricks arose occurred on April 15, 2017. Therefore, the three-year statute of limitations would have expired on April 15, 2020.” What the case decided was which period governs a claim against an estate: “we conclude that the statute of nonclaim, as opposed to the general three-year statute of limitations, governs Marcum’s claims against Hodge”. Its disposition reads “Reversed and remanded; court of appeals’ opinion vacated. KEMP, C.J., and HUDSON, J., dissent.” The text of Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105 itself was not read for this page. Ask a licensed Arkansas attorney which period applies to your claim.CaliforniaMed malpractice
Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 340.5 requires filing by the earlier of 1 year after the claimant discovers the injury or 3 years after the injury itself. We publish the 1-year discovery period. A 90-day notice of intent is also required.ColoradoWrongful death
Which deadline governs a death caused by a motor-vehicle crash in Colorado is not established here. The two years published is Colorado's general wrongful-death period under C.R.S. §§ 13-80-102(1)(d) and 13-80-108(2). C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I), which gives a Colorado car-accident claim three years, covers "All tort actions for bodily injury or property damage arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle" and does not mention a death. We have not established whether it reaches a wrongful-death action, because neither of the two sources behind the three-year period addresses one. Treat the two years as the shorter of two readings rather than as the answer, and speak to a licensed Colorado attorney well inside it.ConnecticutDog bite
Conn. Gen. Stat. 52-584 requires filing within 2 years of discovering the injury, and never more than 3 years after the act or omission. We publish the 2-year discovery period.HawaiiWrongful death
Which deadline governs a death caused by a motor-vehicle crash in Hawaii is not established here. The two years published is the general wrongful-death period under HRS §§ 663-3 and 657-7. HRS § 431:10C-315(b), which can carry a Hawaii car-accident deadline past two years from the crash, says "No suit arising out of a motor vehicle accident shall be brought in tort more than the later of" two years after the accident or two years after the last payment of certain benefits, and its text does not mention a death. We have not established whether it reaches a wrongful-death action, and we hold nothing beyond the text. Treat the two years as the figure to work inside, and speak to a licensed Hawaii attorney well before it runs out.KentuckyWrongful death
For a death caused by a motor-vehicle crash in Kentucky, the one year published here may not be the deadline that governs, and the question is not settled at the Kentucky Supreme Court. The one year is the general wrongful-death period under KRS §§ 413.140 and 413.180. KRS § 304.39-230(6), the provision that sets the filing deadline for a Kentucky car accident, allows an action "not later than two (2) years after the injury, or the death, or the date of issuance of the last basic or added reparation payment". In Hammers v. Plunk, a published 2011 decision, the Kentucky Court of Appeals held that an estate's wrongful-death claims arising out of an automobile accident "covered under the MVRA" are "covered under the two-year limitations period set forth in KRS 304.39-230(6)", running from the last reparation payment where that came later. The Kentucky Supreme Court has not decided the point. The same decision kept the children's loss-of-consortium claims in that case on one year, and the two years applies only where the crash falls within Kentucky's Motor Vehicle Reparations Act. This calculator serves deaths of every kind, so it keeps the one year, and a family inside it is inside both readings. Speak to a licensed Kentucky attorney well inside it.KentuckyWorkers' comp
Two years from the accident is the earliest a Kentucky workers' compensation filing deadline can fall, and not always the deadline itself. KRS 342.185(1) requires the application for adjustment of claim "within two (2) years after the date of the accident, or in case of death, within two (2) years after the death", and goes on: "If payments of income benefits have been made, the filing of an application for adjustment of claim with the department within the period shall not be required, but shall become requisite within two (2) years following the suspension of payments or within two (2) years of the date of the accident, whichever is later." So where income benefits were paid, the application is due within two years following the suspension of payments where that falls later than two years from the accident, and never earlier. Subsections (2) and (3) of the same section set other periods for work-related exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus and for a cumulative trauma injury. Ask a licensed Kentucky attorney which date applies to your claim.LouisianaPersonal injury
La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 reads: "Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years." Its source note reads: "Acts 2024, No. 423, §1, eff. July 1, 2024." The one-year article it replaced is printed as: "Art. 3492. Repealed by Acts 2024, No. 423, §2, eff. July 1, 2024." Which period governs an injury sustained before July 1, 2024 is not established here: the Act's transition rule was not read. If your injury was before that date, ask a licensed Louisiana attorney which period applies to your claim.LouisianaMed malpractice
La. Rev. Stat. 9:5628 requires filing within 1 year of the act or of discovery, and never more than 3 years from the act. We publish the 1-year period. Qualified-provider claims also go to a medical review panel first.LouisianaWrongful death
The 1 year shown is the earliest a Louisiana wrongful-death deadline can fall, not the deadline itself, because the year runs from the death and a death can come after the injury. La. Civ. Code art. 2315.2(B) reads: "The right of action granted by this Article prescribes one year from the death of the deceased or two years from the day that injury or damage is sustained, whichever is longer." That wording took effect August 1, 2025 under Acts 2025, No. 176, and the Legislature's digest of the Act says: "Prior law provided a prescriptive period of one year for wrongful death actions." For a death caused by medical malpractice, art. 2315.2(F) reads: "The right of action granted by this Article for medical malpractice actions prescribes one year from the death of the deceased." Whether the two-year period reaches a death before August 1, 2025 is not established here. A date one year after the injury is the earliest your deadline can be, not the date it falls. Ask a licensed Louisiana attorney which period applies to your claim.LouisianaSlip and fall
La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 reads: "Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years." Its source note reads: "Acts 2024, No. 423, §1, eff. July 1, 2024." The one-year article it replaced is printed as: "Art. 3492. Repealed by Acts 2024, No. 423, §2, eff. July 1, 2024." Which period governs an injury sustained before July 1, 2024 is not established here: the Act's transition rule was not read. If your injury was before that date, ask a licensed Louisiana attorney which period applies to your claim.LouisianaDog bite
La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 reads: "Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years." Its source note reads: "Acts 2024, No. 423, §1, eff. July 1, 2024." The one-year article it replaced is printed as: "Art. 3492. Repealed by Acts 2024, No. 423, §2, eff. July 1, 2024." Which period governs an injury sustained before July 1, 2024 is not established here: the Act's transition rule was not read. If your injury was before that date, ask a licensed Louisiana attorney which period applies to your claim.MarylandMed malpractice
Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. 5-109 requires filing by the earlier of 5 years from when the injury was committed or 3 years from discovery. We publish the 3-year discovery period. A claim goes to the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office first, with an expert certificate.MinnesotaPersonal injury
Minnesota's 6 years comes from Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1, which opens “Except where the Uniform Commercial Code otherwise prescribes, the following actions shall be commenced within six years:” and lists, at clause (5), “(5) for criminal conversation, or for any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract, and not hereinafter enumerated;” A shorter section sits beside it. Minn. Stat. § 541.07 opens “Except where the Uniform Commercial Code, this section, section 541.05, 541.073, 541.076, or 604.205 otherwise prescribes, the following actions shall be commenced within two years:” and its clause (1) reads “(1) for libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment, or other tort resulting in personal injury,” The Minnesota Supreme Court has written about both sections. D.M.S. v. Barber, No. C8-00-2227, decided June 13, 2002, was about when the delayed-discovery period for a sexual-abuse claim begins to run. The part of the opinion that begins “We first consider whether D.M.S.’s negligence claims are barred by the statute of limitations.” goes on: “Generally, personal injury actions grounded on negligence must be commenced within the six-year period of limitation provided in Minn. Stat. § 541.05(5) (2000).” Sipe v. STS Manufacturing, Inc., No. A11-2082, decided July 31, 2013, was about a wrongful-discharge claim created by a Minnesota statute. The court wrote that “section 541.07(1) is limited to common law causes of action not created by statute.” and referred to “our interpretation of the phrase “other tort resulting in personal injury” as being limited to common law intentional torts.” Neither case was about an ordinary negligence or product claim, and neither says which period governs yours. Ask a licensed Minnesota attorney which period applies to your claim.MinnesotaSlip and fall
Minnesota's 6 years comes from Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1, which opens “Except where the Uniform Commercial Code otherwise prescribes, the following actions shall be commenced within six years:” and lists, at clause (5), “(5) for criminal conversation, or for any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract, and not hereinafter enumerated;” A shorter section sits beside it. Minn. Stat. § 541.07 opens “Except where the Uniform Commercial Code, this section, section 541.05, 541.073, 541.076, or 604.205 otherwise prescribes, the following actions shall be commenced within two years:” and its clause (1) reads “(1) for libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment, or other tort resulting in personal injury,” The Minnesota Supreme Court has written about both sections. D.M.S. v. Barber, No. C8-00-2227, decided June 13, 2002, was about when the delayed-discovery period for a sexual-abuse claim begins to run. The part of the opinion that begins “We first consider whether D.M.S.’s negligence claims are barred by the statute of limitations.” goes on: “Generally, personal injury actions grounded on negligence must be commenced within the six-year period of limitation provided in Minn. Stat. § 541.05(5) (2000).” Sipe v. STS Manufacturing, Inc., No. A11-2082, decided July 31, 2013, was about a wrongful-discharge claim created by a Minnesota statute. The court wrote that “section 541.07(1) is limited to common law causes of action not created by statute.” and referred to “our interpretation of the phrase “other tort resulting in personal injury” as being limited to common law intentional torts.” Neither case was about an ordinary negligence or product claim, and neither says which period governs yours. Ask a licensed Minnesota attorney which period applies to your claim.MinnesotaDog bite
Minnesota's 6 years comes from Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1, which opens “Except where the Uniform Commercial Code otherwise prescribes, the following actions shall be commenced within six years:” and lists, at clause (5), “(5) for criminal conversation, or for any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract, and not hereinafter enumerated;” A shorter section sits beside it. Minn. Stat. § 541.07 opens “Except where the Uniform Commercial Code, this section, section 541.05, 541.073, 541.076, or 604.205 otherwise prescribes, the following actions shall be commenced within two years:” and its clause (1) reads “(1) for libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment, or other tort resulting in personal injury,” The Minnesota Supreme Court has written about both sections. D.M.S. v. Barber, No. C8-00-2227, decided June 13, 2002, was about when the delayed-discovery period for a sexual-abuse claim begins to run. The part of the opinion that begins “We first consider whether D.M.S.’s negligence claims are barred by the statute of limitations.” goes on: “Generally, personal injury actions grounded on negligence must be commenced within the six-year period of limitation provided in Minn. Stat. § 541.05(5) (2000).” Sipe v. STS Manufacturing, Inc., No. A11-2082, decided July 31, 2013, was about a wrongful-discharge claim created by a Minnesota statute. The court wrote that “section 541.07(1) is limited to common law causes of action not created by statute.” and referred to “our interpretation of the phrase “other tort resulting in personal injury” as being limited to common law intentional torts.” Neither case was about an ordinary negligence or product claim, and neither says which period governs yours. Ask a licensed Minnesota attorney which period applies to your claim.NevadaMed malpractice
NRS 41A.097 requires filing by the earlier of 3 years after the injury or 1 year after discovery. We publish the 1-year discovery period. Separate provisions apply to minors and to concealment.New MexicoWorkers' comp
N.M. Stat. 52-1-31 generally requires a claim within 1 year after the employer or insurer fails or refuses to pay a benefit, which is a different starting point from the date of injury.New YorkMed malpractice
N.Y. C.P.L.R. 214-a sets 2 years and 6 months (30 months) from the act or omission complained of, or from the end of continuous treatment for the same condition. This field holds whole years, so we publish 2, which understates the period by six months rather than overstating it. You may have up to 30 months. A foreign-object claim runs 1 year from discovery. Confirm your deadline with a New York attorney.OhioWorkers' comp
Ohio Rev. Code 4123.84 generally requires a claim within 1 year after the injury, subject to that section's own provisions.OhioDog bite
Ohio Rev. Code 2305.10 sets a 2-year period for bodily injury, and that is the period our verified research assigns to a dog-bite claim. Ohio also has a separate statutory dog-bite cause of action, and the research did not address whether a claim brought that way runs on a different clock. We publish the shorter figure so the deadline we show is never later than the one that governs. Confirm your own deadline with an Ohio attorney.South DakotaWorkers' comp
SDCL 62-7-35 generally gives a worker 2 years to petition after a written denial of benefits. Separate notice and claim rules run on their own, much shorter clocks, so report your injury to your employer right away rather than relying on this figure.TennesseePersonal injury
The 1 year shown is the earliest a Tennessee deadline for this claim can fall, not the deadline itself, because the same statute gives two years where the conditions it sets out, which turn on a criminal prosecution, are met. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(2) reads: "A cause of action listed in subdivision (a)(1) shall be commenced within two (2) years after the cause of action accrued, if: (A) Criminal charges are brought against any person alleged to have caused or contributed to the injury; (B) The conduct, transaction, or occurrence that gives rise to the cause of action for civil damages is the subject of a criminal prosecution commenced within one (1) year by: (i) A law enforcement officer; (ii) A district attorney general; or (iii) A grand jury; and (C) The cause of action is brought by the person injured by the criminal conduct against the party prosecuted for such conduct." Subsection (a)(3) adds: "This subsection (a) shall be strictly construed." Which charges meet those conditions is not established here. Work inside the one year, and ask a licensed Tennessee attorney whether the two-year period applies to your claim.TennesseeWrongful death
The 1 year shown is Tennessee's published wrongful-death period, and whether a two-year period in the same section can reach a wrongful-death claim is not established here. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(2) begins: "A cause of action listed in subdivision (a)(1) shall be commenced within two (2) years after the cause of action accrued, if:" Its last condition, (a)(2)(C), reads: "The cause of action is brought by the person injured by the criminal conduct against the party prosecuted for such conduct." A wrongful-death claim arises from a person's death, and nothing we have read says whether (a)(2) reaches one. Work inside the one year, and ask a licensed Tennessee attorney whether the two-year period can apply to your claim.TennesseeSlip and fall
The 1 year shown is the earliest a Tennessee deadline for this claim can fall, not the deadline itself, because the same statute gives two years where the conditions it sets out, which turn on a criminal prosecution, are met. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(2) reads: "A cause of action listed in subdivision (a)(1) shall be commenced within two (2) years after the cause of action accrued, if: (A) Criminal charges are brought against any person alleged to have caused or contributed to the injury; (B) The conduct, transaction, or occurrence that gives rise to the cause of action for civil damages is the subject of a criminal prosecution commenced within one (1) year by: (i) A law enforcement officer; (ii) A district attorney general; or (iii) A grand jury; and (C) The cause of action is brought by the person injured by the criminal conduct against the party prosecuted for such conduct." Subsection (a)(3) adds: "This subsection (a) shall be strictly construed." Which charges meet those conditions is not established here. Work inside the one year, and ask a licensed Tennessee attorney whether the two-year period applies to your claim.TennesseeDog bite
The 1 year shown is the earliest a Tennessee deadline for this claim can fall, not the deadline itself, because the same statute gives two years where the conditions it sets out, which turn on a criminal prosecution, are met. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(2) reads: "A cause of action listed in subdivision (a)(1) shall be commenced within two (2) years after the cause of action accrued, if: (A) Criminal charges are brought against any person alleged to have caused or contributed to the injury; (B) The conduct, transaction, or occurrence that gives rise to the cause of action for civil damages is the subject of a criminal prosecution commenced within one (1) year by: (i) A law enforcement officer; (ii) A district attorney general; or (iii) A grand jury; and (C) The cause of action is brought by the person injured by the criminal conduct against the party prosecuted for such conduct." Subsection (a)(3) adds: "This subsection (a) shall be strictly construed." Which charges meet those conditions is not established here. Work inside the one year, and ask a licensed Tennessee attorney whether the two-year period applies to your claim.UtahPersonal injury
Utah's four years comes from Utah Code § 78B-2-307, which opens “An action may be brought within four years:” and lists, at subsection (4), “(4) for relief not otherwise provided for by law.” The one court statement read for this page on which period governs an injury claim is from the Utah Court of Appeals. Penrose v. Ross, 2003 UT App 157, was about whether an amended complaint that named a different defendant related back to the original complaint, and in setting out its premise the court wrote: “The traffic accident from which this suit arose occurred on November 21, 1996. Thus, the statute of limitations for Penrose's claim of negligence expired on November 21, 2000. See Utah Code Ann. § 78-12-25(3) (2002) ("An action may be brought within four years: . . . for relief not otherwise provided for by law.");” It cited the provision under its earlier number, § 78-12-25(3), in the words subsection (4) prints today. That was the premise of a case about something else, not the question the court decided, and no Utah Supreme Court opinion on the period was read for this page. Ask a licensed Utah attorney which period applies to your claim.UtahWorkers' comp
One year is the earliest a Utah workers' compensation time limit can fall, and it is the limit for medical expenses, not for a claim for disability benefits. Utah Code § 34A-2-417(1)(a) entitles an employee to be compensated for a medical expense only where the employee submits it to the employer or insurance carrier "within one year from the later of: (I) the day on which the medical expense is incurred; or (II) the day on which the employee knows or in the exercise of reasonable diligence should have known that the medical expense is related to the industrial accident." A claim for temporary total, temporary partial, permanent partial or permanent total disability benefits is barred unless the employee "files an application for hearing with the Division of Adjudication no later than six years from the date of the accident", and the employee must be able to meet the burden of proof "by no later than 12 years from the date of the accident" (§ 34A-2-417(2)). For death benefits, "A claim for death benefits is barred unless an application for hearing is filed within one year of the date of death of the employee." (§ 34A-2-417(3)). Ask a licensed Utah attorney which limit applies to your claim.WashingtonWorkers' comp
RCW 51.28.050 generally requires a claim within 1 year of the injury. Occupational-disease claims run on a separate 2-year period under RCW 51.28.055, which this single figure cannot hold.WisconsinWrongful death
Wis. Stat. § 893.54(1m) reads “(1m) Except as provided in sub. (2m), the following actions shall be commenced within 3 years or be barred:” and § 893.54(1m)(b) reads “(b) An action brought to recover damages for death caused by the wrongful act, neglect or default of another.” Wis. Stat. § 893.54(2m) reads “(2m) An action brought to recover damages for death caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another and arising from an accident involving a motor vehicle shall be commenced within 2 years after the cause of action accrues or be barred.” This field holds a single number, so we publish the 2-year period: it is the one that governs motor-vehicle deaths, and telling a claimant 3 years when the real deadline is 2 is the error that costs a claim. If the death did not involve a motor vehicle, you may have the full 3 years. Confirm which period applies with a Wisconsin attorney.The shortest and longest clocks
The shortest personal-injury clock in the table runs 1 year, in Kentucky and Tennessee. Kentucky publishes a separate filing deadline for a narrower class of claim, which displaces that general period for the claims it reaches. The note under the table has it. In Tennessee that period is the earliest the deadline can fall rather than a fixed limit, and the note under the table says why. The other 49 give longer: 25 of the 51 here run 2 years, which is the single most common period.
At the other end, Maine, Minnesota and North Dakota allow 6 years on an ordinary personal-injury claim. A longer window is not a reason to wait: evidence degrades, witnesses move, and treatment records get harder to pull, so the practical deadline can be earlier than the legal one.
Case type matters as much as the state
Two claims arising from the same incident in the same state can have different deadlines. A medical malpractice claim can run on two clocks at once: a discovery period that starts when the patient learns of the harm, and an outer repose limit that starts at the act itself and runs regardless of discovery. Whichever expires first is the one that ends the claim.
Where our data holds that nuance, the note beside the jurisdiction spells it out in the block above rather than compressing it into a single number. That is why some notes describe a shorter period than the outer limit you may have read elsewhere: where two clocks run, we publish the one that can end the claim first, not the longer one.
When the clock starts, and when it does not
The starting point is the event the statute names, and for an injury claim that can be the date of the injury. For a collision, that is the date of the crash. For a fall, the date of the fall. Exceptions can change when it begins.
The discovery rule, where it applies, delays the start until the claimant discovered, or should have discovered, both the harm and its cause. Tolling for a minor depends on the state and on the claim: the clock may pause until the injured person comes of age, or a parent or guardian may have to bring the claim within a set period, and a child's medical malpractice claim can have rules of its own. Where a defendant concealed the injury or their own identity, the clock can pause until the truth could reasonably have been discovered. Where the defendant leaves the state, the clock can pause for the absence in the states whose law provides for it.
None of these is automatic. Each has to be established on the specific facts, which is exactly the kind of question to bring to an attorney early rather than late.