Source-first legal reference
Personal injury laws by state: a reading room
Use this library to find the current primary source behind a filing-period or fault-rule summary. It is a research starting point, not a deadline calculator: accrual, exceptions, claim type, defendant, and amendments can change the answer.
Reviewed September 24, 2026
First release: six states selected for verified directory inventory and authoritative source availability. We add states in researched batches rather than publishing 50 thin copies.
Quick comparison
9 researched statesOpen the rule before relying on the label
| State | General timing starting point | Fault-rule starting point | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | Two years for many personal-injury actions | Recovery barred above 50% responsibility | Read notes → |
| CACalifornia | Two years under CCP § 335.1 for the listed actions | Pure comparative negligence for ordinary negligence claims | Read notes → |
| FLFlorida | Two years for an action founded on negligence | Recovery barred when a party is more than 50% at fault | Read notes → |
| WAWashington | Three years for the personal-injury category in RCW 4.16.080 | Contributory fault reduces damages but does not bar recovery | Read notes → |
| AZArizona | Two years under A.R.S. § 12-542 for listed injury actions | Comparative negligence generally reduces damages proportionately | Read notes → |
| ILIllinois | Two years for the personal-injury category in 735 ILCS 5/13-202 | Recovery barred when claimant fault is more than 50% | Read notes → |
| NYNew York | Three years for the personal-injury category in CPLR 214 | Comparative fault generally reduces damages proportionately | Read notes → |
| PAPennsylvania | Two years for listed personal-injury actions under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 | Recovery allowed when plaintiff negligence is not greater than defendants’ causal negligence | Read notes → |
| OHOhio | Two years for bodily-injury actions under Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10, subject to its exceptions | Recovery barred when plaintiff fault is greater than the combined fault of others | Read notes → |
Five checks before you use a state-law summary
- Name the cause of action.
- Identify the parties and any public entity.
- Read the current full statute and cross-references.
- Check accrual, tolling, notice, repose, effective dates, and exceptions.
- Ask a lawyer licensed in the relevant state to apply the law to the facts.
General legal information only, not legal advice. A short comparison cannot calculate a filing date, assign fault, value a claim, or determine which state’s law applies.