Car Accident Lawsuit Deadline Calculator

Find the last day to file a lawsuit after a car accident in your state, for injuries or for damage to your car, and how many days you have left.

Short answer

Every state limits how long you have to sue after a car accident. For injury claims it is two years in 25 states and three years in 18, and from one to six years in the rest; property damage can have a different limit. The insurer does not have to warn you, and missing the date usually ends the claim.

State where the accident happened

Date of the accident

What you would sue for

Not legal, financial, or insurance advice. This tool gives a general, educational estimate only. Insurance laws, deadlines, and formulas vary by state, by policy, and by insurer, and they change over time. Verify anything important with your insurance policy, your state department of insurance, or a licensed attorney before relying on it. This is the general deadline in state law. Exceptions can shorten it (claims against a city or state agency often need a written notice within months) or extend it (a minor, or an injury discovered later). If the deadline is near, talk to a licensed attorney now.

What the lawsuit deadline means

Every state sets a statute of limitations: a fixed time after the accident to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver. Miss it and the court will almost always dismiss the case, and the insurer knows it, so your negotiating leverage disappears with it.

An open insurance claim does not pause the clock. Adjusters sometimes keep talking until the deadline has passed. If a fair settlement isn't in writing a few months before the date below, get legal advice.

Deadlines that come sooner

Government vehicles: a crash with a city bus, police car or state truck usually needs a formal notice of claim within a short window, sometimes 30 to 180 days.
Your own policy: no-fault (PIP) benefits, uninsured motorist claims and the policy's own "suit against us" clause can have shorter limits than the statute.
Wrongful death claims often run from the date of death, not the accident, and may be shorter.

Already settled a claim? Share the first offer and what you finally got, anonymously, in 30 seconds. It helps us build the Lowball Index, which we publish once enough claims are in.

Worked example

Your car was hit in Georgia on March 3, 2026. Georgia gives 2 years for injury lawsuits and 4 years for damage to property, so the last day to sue for injuries is March 3, 2028 and for car damage March 3, 2030.

If the at-fault insurer is still negotiating in late 2027, that is the time to get a lawyer's view, not after March 2028.

What to do next

Frequently asked questions

Does filing an insurance claim stop the statute of limitations?

No. Reporting the accident or negotiating with an adjuster does not pause the deadline to sue. Only filing a lawsuit in court (or a written agreement to extend, which insurers rarely sign) protects the claim.

What if the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday?

Most states move a deadline that lands on a weekend or court holiday to the next business day, but do not count on it. File well before the date.