Slip and fall statute of limitations by state
Worried your time to file is running out after a fall? Get a free case review now, and pay no fee unless you win.
Late or early, we check your dates free, and a slip and fall lawyer begins today.
Change state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
The slip and fall statute of limitations, state by state
The slip and fall statute of limitations is two or three years in most states, from the day you fell. It is one year in Kentucky and Tennessee, and six years in Maine, Minnesota and North Dakota.
Enter your state and date for your exact last day.
Government property: notice comes first
A fall on public property can need a written notice long before the general deadline. These states set the notice period in statute.
| State | Written notice within | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 180 days | A.R.S. § 12-821.01 |
| California | 6 months | Government Code § 911.2 |
| Florida | 3 years | Fla. Stat. § 768.28 |
| Georgia | 6 months | O.C.G.A. § 36-33-5 |
| Massachusetts | 2 years | M.G.L. c. 258 § 4 |
| Michigan | 120 days | MCL 691.1404 |
| New Jersey | 90 days | N.J.S.A. 59:8-8 |
| New York | 90 days | General Municipal Law § 50-e |
| Pennsylvania | 6 months | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522 |
| Texas | 6 months | Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 101.101 |
| Virginia | 6 months | Va. Code § 15.2-209 |
Close to your deadline?
Call this week. A lawyer needs a few days to prepare a filing, and the clock does not wait for the insurer.
Questions people ask after a fall
Does the deadline start when I fell or when I found out I was hurt?
In most states it starts on the day of the fall. Plan on that date.
Does a claim with the insurer stop the clock?
No. Only a lawsuit filed in court does, so lawyers often file before the deadline while talks go on.
What if I fell on city or state property?
A written notice usually comes first, and it can be due in as little as 90 days. The second table lists the states that set it in statute.
Can the deadline be paused?
In a few narrow cases. The most common is a child who was hurt: many states pause the clock until the child turns 18.
Your state
Beat your deadline
You fell on someone else's property, and the law gives you limited time to act. Most states allow two or three years, but city property can need notice in 90 days. Call now so we can check your deadline before it closes.
The review is free. A slip and fall lawyer in your state takes the case on contingency: no fee unless you win.