If you are considering filing a civil lawsuit against somebody for an injury they caused you years ago, it’s important to first check your state’s statute of limitations to determine if you are still eligible to do so. Below, we explain the statute of limitations for personal injury cases.
A statute of limitations is a law that determines the maximum amount of time a party has to initiate legal proceedings from the date of an alleged offense. Statutes of limitation exist because it is believed that after enough time has passed, evidence can be lost and witnesses’ memories can become foggy, making it much more difficult to litigate a case fairly.
The exact length of statutes of limitation varies depending on jurisdiction and the nature of the offense. Severe crimes such as murder, crimes against humanity, and war crimes usually do not have a statute of limitations. However, most other crimes do.
Personal injury cases are a type of civil lawsuit, meaning that they pursue compensation rather than punishment. Most civil cases have a statute of limitations applied to them. In the United States, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases in nearly every state ranges from two to six years.
Below, you can find a guide to the statute of limitations for personal injury cases in each state. Note that this is a rough guide and you should always check an official state source to be certain you are receiving the most up-to-date information.
| State | Statute | Personal Injury Statute of Limitations |
| Alabama | Ala. Code § 6-2-30 et seq. * | 2 |
| Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 09.10.010 et seq. | 2 |
| Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 12-541 et seq. | 2 |
| Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-101 et seq. | 3 |
| California | Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 312 et seq. | 2 |
| Colorado | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101 et seq. | 2 (3 years for injuries from motor vehicle accidents) |
| Connecticut | Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 52-575 et seq. | 2 |
| Delaware | Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 8101 et seq. | 2 |
| District of Columbia | D.C. Code § 12-301 et seq. | 3 |
| Florida | Fla. Stat. Ann. § 95.011 et seq. | 4 |
| Georgia | Ga. Code Ann. § 9-3-20 et seq. | 2 |
| Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1 et seq. | 2 |
| Idaho | Idaho Code § 5-201 et seq. | 2 |
| Illinois | 735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/13-201 et seq. | 2 |
| Indiana | Ind. Code Ann. § 34-11-2-1 et seq. | 2 |
| Iowa | Iowa Code Ann. § 614.1 et seq. | 2 |
| Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-501 et seq. | 2 |
| Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 413.080 et seq. | 1 (2 years for injuries from motor vehicle accidents) |
| Louisiana | La. civil code § 3492 et seq. | 1 |
| Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, § 751 et seq. | 6 |
| Maryland | Md. Courts & Jud. Proc. Code Ann. § 5-101 et seq. | 3 |
| Massachusetts | Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 260, § 1 et seq. | 3 |
| Michigan | Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5801 et seq. | 3 |
| Minnesota | Minn. Stat. Ann. § 541.01 et seq. | 2 |
| Mississippi | Miss. Code. Ann. § 15-1-1 et seq. | 3 |
| Missouri | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.097 et seq. | 5 |
| Montana | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-202 et seq. | 3 |
| Nebraska | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-201 et seq. | 4 |
| Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 11.010 et seq. | 2 |
| New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 508:1 et seq. | 3 |
| New Jersey | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2a:14-1 et seq. | 2 |
| New Mexico | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 37-1-1 et seq. | 3 |
| New York | N.Y. Civ. Prac. Laws & Rules § 201 et seq. | 3 |
| North Carolina | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-46 et seq. | 3 |
| North Dakota | N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-01 et seq. | 6 |
| Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2305.03 et seq. | 2 |
| Oklahoma | Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 91 et seq. | 2 |
| Oregon | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.010 et seq. | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 5501 et seq. | 2 |
| Rhode Island | R. I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-12 et seq. | 3 |
| South Carolina | S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-510 et seq. | 3 |
| South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws Ann. § 15-2-1 et seq. | 3 |
| Tennessee | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-101 et seq. | 1 |
| Texas | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001 et seq., Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ann. § 2.725 | 2 |
| Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 78B-2-101 et seq. | 4 |
| Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 461 et seq. | 3 |
| Virginia | Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-228 et seq. | 2 |
| Washington | Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 4.16.005 et seq. | 3 |
| West Virginia | W. Va. Code § 55-2-1 et seq. | 2 |
| Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. Ann. § 893.01 et seq. | 3 |
| Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-102 et seq. | 4 |
There are sometimes exceptions to the statute of limitations for personal injury. The main one is called the discovery rule and applies to situations in which the injured person did not know that they suffered an injury or that the defendant’s actions caused the injury until after the original statute of limitations had passed.
For example, if a surgery patient were to find out that their surgeon left a surgical implement in their body only years after the surgery, they will still be able to file a personal injury lawsuit because of the discovery rule.
There may also be exceptions to the statute of limitations in the following situations:
