Deadline to Sue for an Injury in Each State (2026)
The statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits in every state and DC.
| State | Deadline to sue for an injury |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Most lawsuits for injury to a person that do not arise from a contract must be filed within two years. Claims for trespass to the person, such as assault and battery or false imprisonment, have six years. Ala. Code §§ 6-2-38(l), 6-2-34(1) |
| Alaska | A lawsuit for personal injury, or for assault, battery, false imprisonment, libel or slander, must be filed within two years after the claim accrues. Separately, most injury claims cannot be brought more than 10 years after the last act that caused the injury (or substantial completion of construction), with exceptions such as intentional acts, gross negligence, defective products, fraud and concealed facts. Alaska Stat. §§ 09.10.070(a), 09.10.055 |
| Arizona | A personal injury lawsuit must be filed within two years after the cause of action accrues. Claims for false imprisonment, libel or slander have one year. For someone under 18 or of unsound mind when the claim accrues, the time generally does not run until the disability ends. Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 12-542(1), 12-541(1), 12-502 |
| Arkansas | Arkansas's general three-year statute of limitations covers actions "founded on any contract or liability, expressed or implied," and this is the period generally used for negligence-based personal injury claims. The statute itself does not use the words "personal injury." Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105 |
| California | A lawsuit for injury to a person (for example, accidents, assault, battery, or negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress) must generally be filed within 2 years from the date of the injury. If the injury was not discovered right away, the time generally starts when it was discovered or should reasonably have been discovered. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1; Judicial Branch of California Self-Help Guide, "Deadlines to sue someone" |
| Colorado | Most tort lawsuits, including negligence claims for personal injury, must be filed within two years after the claim accrues. Injury and property-damage claims arising from the use or operation of a motor vehicle have three years. Assault, battery, false imprisonment, libel and slander have one year. Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 13-80-102(1)(a), 13-80-101(1)(n), 13-80-103(1)(a) |
| Connecticut | A lawsuit for personal injury caused by negligence or by reckless or wanton misconduct must be filed within two years from the date the injury is first sustained or discovered (or reasonably should have been discovered), and no more than three years from the date of the act or omission. Other tort claims not covered by that rule (for example, many intentional torts) have three years from the act or omission. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-584, 52-577 |
| Delaware | A lawsuit for personal injuries must be filed within 2 years from the date the injuries were sustained. Del. Code tit. 10, § 8119 |
| District of Columbia | D.C. has no separate deadline that names personal injury; negligence-based injury claims fall under the general 3-year period for actions not otherwise specifically covered. Claims for assault, battery, libel, slander, false arrest or false imprisonment have 1 year. D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(4), (8) |
| Florida | A lawsuit founded on negligence (such as most car-accident and slip-and-fall injury claims) must be filed within 2 years. Claims for assault, battery, false imprisonment and other intentional torts have 4 years, as do product-related injury claims. Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a), (3)(d), (3)(n) |
| Georgia | A lawsuit for injuries to the person must be filed within two years after the right of action accrues. Injuries to reputation have one year, and loss-of-consortium claims have four years. O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 |
| Hawaii | A lawsuit for damage or injury to persons must be filed within two years after the cause of action accrued. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-7 |
| Idaho | A lawsuit for injury to a person must be filed within two years. The claim generally accrues at the time of the act or occurrence, and the period is not extended because of continuing consequences. Idaho Code § 5-219(4) |
| Illinois | A lawsuit for injury to the person (and for false imprisonment or malicious prosecution) must be filed within 2 years after the cause of action accrued. Claims for damages from first degree murder or a Class X felony, where the perpetrator is convicted, are excluded from this limit. 735 ILCS 5/13-202 |
| Indiana | A lawsuit for injury to a person must be filed within two years after the cause of action accrues. Claims for injury from childhood sexual abuse have longer deadlines. Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4 |
| Iowa | A lawsuit founded on injuries to the person (or reputation), whether based on contract or tort, must be filed within two years after the claim accrues. Iowa Code § 614.1(2) |
| Kansas | A lawsuit for injury to the rights of another not arising from a contract (which includes personal injury) must be filed within two years. The time generally starts when the act first causes substantial injury, or when the injury becomes reasonably ascertainable if that is later, but no lawsuit may be filed more than 10 years after the act that caused it. Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-513(a)(4), (b) |
| Kentucky | In general, a lawsuit for an injury to the person must be filed within one year after the cause of action accrued. For injuries from a motor vehicle accident covered by Kentucky's Motor Vehicle Reparations Act, a tort lawsuit may be filed within two years after the injury, the death, or the date of the last no-fault (basic or added reparation) benefit payment, whichever is later. KRS 413.140(1)(a); KRS 304.39-230(6) |
| Louisiana | Two years. Delictual (tort) actions, including personal injury claims, are subject to a two-year prescriptive period that begins on the day the injury or damage is sustained. This two-year rule took effect July 1, 2024, when the former one-year rule (Civil Code art. 3492) was repealed. La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 |
| Maine | Six years. Maine's general rule is that civil actions must be filed within 6 years after the cause of action accrues, unless another statute sets a different period. Personal injury claims fall under this general rule. 14 M.R.S. § 752 |
| Maryland | Three years from the date the claim accrues. This is Maryland's general deadline for civil actions unless another law sets a different period. Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101 |
| Massachusetts | Three years. Tort actions, and contract actions to recover for personal injuries, must be filed within three years after the cause of action accrues, unless another law provides otherwise. M.G.L. c. 260, § 2A |
| Michigan | Three years after the time of the injury for most actions to recover damages for injury to a person. Shorter periods apply to some claims, such as 2 years for assault, battery or false imprisonment and 2 years for malpractice; 10 years applies to claims for criminal sexual conduct. MCL 600.5805(2), (3), (6), (8) |
| Minnesota | Generally six years for injury to the person not arising on contract (which covers negligence claims). Two years for libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment or "other tort resulting in personal injury." Four years for strict product liability claims. Minn. Stat. §§ 541.05, subd. 1(5) and subd. 2; 541.07(1) |
| Mississippi | Three years. Actions with no other specific limitation period, which includes most negligence personal injury claims, must be filed within three years after the cause of action accrues. For latent injuries or diseases, the time starts when the injury is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered. Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49 |
| Missouri | Five years. Actions for "any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract" and not otherwise listed must be filed within five years. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4) |
| Montana | Three years for tort actions in general, including personal injury based on negligence (an action on a liability not founded on a written instrument). Two years for libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment or seduction. Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(1), (3) |
| Nebraska | Four years for an action for injury to the rights of the plaintiff not arising on contract and not otherwise listed, which covers most negligence personal injury claims. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-207(3) |
| Nevada | Two years for an action to recover damages for injuries to a person caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another (with exceptions in NRS 11.215 and 11.217). Two years also applies to libel, slander, assault, battery and false imprisonment. NRS 11.190(4)(c), (e) |
| New Hampshire | Three years from the act or omission. If the injury and its connection to the act or omission were not discovered and could not reasonably have been discovered at the time, the three years run from when the injured person discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) them. RSA 508:4, I |
| New Jersey | Two years. An action for injury to the person caused by the wrongful act, neglect or default of another must be filed within two years after the cause of action accrues. N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a) |
| New Mexico | Three years for an action for an injury to the person. NMSA 1978, § 37-1-8 |
| New York | Three years for an action to recover damages for a personal injury (with exceptions in CPLR 214-b, 214-c, 214-i and 215, such as certain toxic exposure and intentional tort claims). N.Y. CPLR 214(5) |
| North Carolina | Three years. For personal injury, the claim does not accrue until bodily harm becomes apparent or reasonably should have become apparent, but no claim may accrue more than 10 years after the defendant's last act or omission (with limited exceptions). N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(5), (16) |
| North Dakota | Most personal injury lawsuits based on negligence must be filed within six years after the claim arises, under the catch-all for "any other injury to the person or rights of another not arising upon contract." Shorter deadlines apply to some claims: two years for assault, battery, false imprisonment, libel and slander. N.D. Cent. Code §§ 28-01-16(5), 28-01-18(1) |
| Ohio | An action for bodily injury must be filed within two years after the cause of action accrues, which is generally when the injury occurs. For injuries from exposure to certain substances (such as hazardous chemicals, prescription drugs or medical devices, or asbestos), the clock starts when the person learns, or reasonably should have learned, that the injury is related to the exposure. Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10(A), (B) |
| Oklahoma | Two years for an action for injury to the rights of another not arising from a contract, which covers most negligence-based injury claims. Assault, battery, libel, slander, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment have a one-year deadline. 12 Okla. Stat. § 95(A)(3), (A)(4) |
| Oregon | Two years for assault, battery, false imprisonment, or any other injury to the person not arising from a contract. In addition, no action for negligent injury to a person or property may be filed more than 10 years after the act or omission (statute of ultimate repose). Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 12.110(1), 12.115 |
| Pennsylvania | Two years for an action to recover damages for injuries to the person caused by the wrongful act, neglect, unlawful violence or negligence of another. Assault, battery, false imprisonment and similar claims also have a two-year deadline. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(1), (2), (7) |
| Rhode Island | Actions for injuries to the person must be filed within three years after the cause of action accrues. Claims for spoken words (slander) have a one-year deadline. R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(a), (b) |
| South Carolina | Three years for assault, battery, or any injury to the person or rights of another not arising from a contract. S.C. Code § 15-3-530(5) |
| South Dakota | Three years for an action for personal injury. Libel, slander, assault, battery and false imprisonment have a two-year deadline. S.D. Codified Laws §§ 15-2-14(3), 15-2-15(1) |
| Tennessee | One year after the cause of action accrues for injuries to the person. The deadline is two years if criminal charges are brought against the person who caused the injury (or the conduct is the subject of a criminal prosecution started within one year), and the injured person sues the person prosecuted. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a) |
| Texas | Two years after the day the cause of action accrues. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a) |
| Utah | Utah's statutes do not list a specific deadline for ordinary negligence personal injury claims. They fall under the four-year limit for relief "not otherwise provided for by law." Claims against the state, a political subdivision, or their employees for injury to personal rights have a two-year limit. Utah Code §§ 78B-2-307(4), 78B-2-304(4), (5) |
| Vermont | Three years after the cause of action accrues for injuries to the person caused by another's act or default. The claim is treated as accruing on the date the injury is discovered. Assault and battery, false imprisonment, and slander and libel also have a three-year deadline. 12 V.S.A. § 512(1)–(4) |
| Virginia | Two years after the cause of action accrues for every action for personal injuries, whatever the legal theory. Va. Code § 8.01-243(A) |
| Washington | Three years for any injury to the person or rights of another not otherwise listed in the limitations statutes. Rev. Code Wash. § 4.16.080(2) |
| West Virginia | Two years after the right to sue accrues for damages for personal injuries. W. Va. Code § 55-2-12(b) |
| Wisconsin | Three years for an action to recover damages for injuries to the person, including injuries from a motor vehicle accident. Wis. Stat. § 893.54(1m)(a) |
| Wyoming | Four years for an injury to the rights of the plaintiff not arising on contract, which covers most negligence-based injury claims. Assault or battery (other than sexual assault), libel, slander, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment have a one-year deadline. Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C), (a)(v) |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.