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Statute of Limitations by State

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Civil & Personal Injury Actions

Alabama

Personal Injury: Two years from date of injury.
Product Liability: One year from the date of injury. An exception exists for cases involving the exposure to or ingestion of a harmful substance over time, in which case a plaintiff may commence litigation for one year following the date the injury was or should have been discovered.
Professional Malpractice: Two years or, if not immediately discovered, within six months of the date the injury was or should ahve been discovered. Medical malpractice actions may not be filed more than four years after the date of the act giving rise to the injury.
Injury to Personal Property: Six years
Fraud: Two years, commencing when the fraud was or reasonably should have been discovered.
Libel - Slander - Defamation: Two years
Contracts: Six years, or ten years if under seal.

Alaska

Personal Injury: Two years
Product Liability: Two years
Professional Malpractice: Professional negligence actions, including medical malpractice lawsuits, must be filed within two years.
Injury to Personal Property: Six years
Fraud: Ten years
Libel - Slander - Defamation: Two years
Contracts: Three years

Arizona

Personal Injury: Two years
Product Liability: Two years
Professional Malpractice: Professional negligence actions, including medical malpractice lawsuits, must be filed within two years.
Injury to Personal Property: Two years
Fraud: Three years
Libel - Slander - Defamation: One year
Contracts: Six years if written; three years if oral.

Arkansas

Personal Injury: Three years
Product Liability: Three years
Professional Malpractice: Medical malpractice, two years. Legal malpractice, three years.
Injury to Personal Property: Three years
Fraud: Common law fraud and deceit, three years.
Libel - Slander - Defamation: Libel: three years; Slander: one year.
Contracts: Five years if written; three years if oral.

California

Personal Injury: Two years
Product Liability: Two years
Professional Malpractice: Legal malpractice, one year from date of discovery, to a maximum of four years from the date of the wrongful act. Medical malpractice, three years from the date of the injury, or one year from the date the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered the injury, whichever occurs first. If the medical malpractice action is based upon the presence of a foreign object found inside the plaintiff’s body, the statute of limitations does not start to run until the plaintiff discovers, or should have discovered, the object. The periods of limitation for medical malpractice apply to minors six years of age and older.
Injury to Personal Property: Three years
Fraud: Three years
Libel - Slander - Defamation: One year
Contracts: Four years if written; two years if oral.

Colorado

Personal Injury: Two years. The limitations period for injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident is three years.
Product Liability: Two years
Professional Malpractice: Medical malpractice, two years from the date the injury was or should have been discovered. However, no medical malpractice claim may be filed more than three years after the act giving rise to the injury occurred. Veterinary malpractice, two years.
Injury to Personal Property: Three years for property damage resulting from the use of a motor vehicle.
Fraud: Three years. One year for actions involving the real estate recovery fund.
Libel - Slander - Defamation: One year
Contracts: Written, three years; Oral, two years. A two year statute of limitations applies to tort actions arising from breach of contract.

Connecticut

Personal Injury: Two years
Product Liability: Two years from date the injury was or should have been discovered, to a maximum of three years from the date of the act.
Professional Malpractice: Professional negligence actions, including medical malpractice lawsuits, must be filed within two years from the date the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered, with a maximum of three years from the date of the act which gave rise to the injury.
Injury to Personal Property: Two years from date the injury was or should have been discovered, to a maximum of three years from the date of the act.
Fraud: Three years
Libel - Slander - Defamation: Two years
Contracts: Written: six years; Oral: three years

Delaware

Personal Injury: Two years
Product Liability: Two years
Professional Malpractice: Professional negligence actions, including medical malpractice lawsuits, must be filed within two years from the date of injury, or within three years of the date of injury if the injury was not known and could not reasonably have been discovered during the initial two year period.
Injury to Personal Property: Two years
Libel - Slander - Defamation: Two years
Contracts: Written: three years; Oral: two years

Florida

Personal Injury: Four years
Product Liability: Four years
Professional Malpractice: For medical malpractice, two years from the date of the act giving rise to injury, or within two years from the date the injury was or should have been detected, but no malpractice action may be commenced more than four years following the act giving rise to the injury. These limitations apply to minors aged eight or older.
Injury to Personal Property: Four years
Fraud: Four years
Libel - Slander - Defamation: Two years
Contracts: Written: five years; Oral: four years. Actions for specific performance must be commenced within one year.

All States

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA D.C. WV WI WY