Home / Car accident injury deadlines: Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina
Car accident injury deadlines: Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Carolina
For an ordinary adult car-accident injury lawsuit, the general filing deadline is two years in Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma, three years in Mississippi and South Carolina and one year in Tennessee. Other states are coming; we add a state only after reading and citing its statute. General information, not legal advice.
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Six states, with Tennessee for comparison
| State | General deadline for injury to a person | Statute | Notes from the text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2 years | Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l): "All actions for any injury to the person or rights of another" [1] | Other sections of the Alabama code can pause or change the deadline. The section itself has a one-year refiling provision after a reversal on appeal (§ 6-2-38(p)). See Alabama deadlines. |
| Georgia | 2 years | O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33: "actions for injuries to the person shall be brought within two years after the right of action accrues" [2] | Opens with "Except as otherwise provided in this article." |
| Mississippi | 3 years | Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49(1): "shall be commenced within three (3) years next after the cause of such action accrued" [3] | § 15-1-49(2): for latent injury or disease with no other period prescribed, the claim does not accrue "until the plaintiff has discovered, or by reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury." [3] |
| Oklahoma | 2 years | 12 O.S. § 95(A)(3): "an action for injury to the rights of another, not arising on contract, and not hereinafter enumerated" [5] | The statute does not say "car accident" or define "accrued." A claim against a city, county or the state needs a written claim within one year of the loss. See Oklahoma deadlines. |
| South Carolina | 3 years | S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(5) and § 15-3-535: such actions "must be commenced within three years after the person knew or by the exercise of reasonable diligence should have known that he had a cause of action" [6] | The three years are counted from when the person knew or should have known of the cause of action. Claims against a state or local government have their own rules. See South Carolina deadlines. |
| Tennessee (for comparison) | 1 year | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1) | See Tennessee deadlines for the exceptions. |
Alabama's row is read from the Alabama Legislature's official code site Oklahoma's from the Oklahoma State Courts Network and South Carolina's from the South Carolina Legislature; the other rows are to each state's code as reproduced by FindLaw. Check the current official text before relying on any row. Other states are coming. We add a state only after we have read and cited its statute.
What this table does not cover
- Different claim types. Wrongful death, property damage, claims against a city, county, state or other government entity, claims involving minors or people who cannot manage their own affairs, and insurance-contract claims can follow different rules or require earlier notice.
- Start and stop dates. Courts decide when a deadline starts running and when it can be paused, and these rules differ by state.
- Which state's law applies. A crash near a state line, or involving drivers from different states, can raise the question of which state's deadline applies.
- Time limits outside court. Insurance policies and claims processes can have their own time limits, separate from the statute.
How to use this table
- Find the state where the crash happened.
- Write down the crash date and the table's general period for that state.
- Count forward and put the date on your calendar, then confirm it with a licensed attorney in that state, who can tell you whether an exception or a different date applies.
- For Tennessee, see the deadline calculator.
Keep reading
- State reference
South Carolina statute of limitations for car accident injury claims
South Carolina gives three years for most injury claims after a crash, counted from when you knew of the claim. Exact statute text, wrongful death and government claims.
Open - State reference
Oklahoma statute of limitations for car accident injury claims
Oklahoma gives two years for most injury claims after a crash and for wrongful death. Exact statute text, the one-year government claim rule and exceptions.
Open - State reference
Alabama statute of limitations for car accident injury claims
Alabama gives two years for most car accident injury claims and two years for wrongful death. Exact statute text, exceptions and city-claim notice rules.
Open - State reference
How long do you have to file after a car accident in Tennessee?
Tennessee gives one year for most injury claims after a crash. See each deadline, the statute text, exceptions and a Memphis court ruling. Checked Nov 2026.
Open - State reference
Is Tennessee a comparative fault state?
Tennessee uses modified comparative fault: recover if your share is less than the other side's, reduced by your percentage. McIntyre v. Balentine explained.
Open - Tool
See the usual filing deadline.
Enter your state and crash date to see the usual deadline to file, with the statute and the exceptions. Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma and South Carolina now; other states coming. Informational only.
Open
Sources
- Ala. Code 6-2-38 (limitation of actions), Alabama Legislature (official) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“All actions for any injury to the person or rights of another”
- O.C.G.A. 9-3-33 (injuries to the person), FindLaw mirror (checked November 9, 2026)Code text via FindLaw (unofficial copy)“actions for injuries to the person shall be brought within two years after the right of action accrues”
- Miss. Code 15-1-49 (general limitation), FindLaw mirror (checked November 9, 2026)Code text via FindLaw (unofficial copy)“shall be commenced within three (3) years next after the cause of such action accrued”“until the plaintiff has discovered, or by reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury”
- Tenn. Code Ann. 28-3-104 (one year), FindLaw mirror (checked November 9, 2026)Code text via FindLaw (unofficial copy)
- 12 O.S. 95 (limitation of actions), Oklahoma State Courts Network (official) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“an action for injury to the rights of another, not arising on contract, and not hereinafter enumerated”
- S.C. Code of Laws, Title 15, Chapter 3 (§§ 15-3-530, 15-3-535), South Carolina Legislature (official) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“must be commenced within three years after the person knew or by the exercise of reasonable diligence should have known that he had a cause of action”
Unofficial copies come from a legal publisher, not the state. They can lag the current code, so check the official code before relying on a date or amount.
Page last updated November 9, 2026. Attorney review pending. General information, not legal advice. Fees, hours and rules change; confirm on the official page. How we source.
Questions
What is the statute of limitations for a car accident in Alabama?
Two years under Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l) for most injury-to-the-person actions [1].
Is it two years or three years in Mississippi?
Three years under § 15-1-49(1), with a discovery provision for latent injury or disease [3].
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Georgia?
Two years under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, subject to the statute's exceptions [2].
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Oklahoma?
Generally two years under 12 O.S. § 95(A)(3), which covers "an action for injury to the rights of another, not arising on contract, and not hereinafter enumerated." [5] A claim against a city, county or the state needs a written claim within one year of the loss; see Oklahoma deadlines.
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in South Carolina?
Generally three years under S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(5), counted from when the person knew or should have known of the cause of action: such actions "must be commenced within three years after the person knew or by the exercise of reasonable diligence should have known that he had a cause of action." [6] See South Carolina deadlines.
Which other states are covered?
Only the six on this page for now. We are adding other states one at a time, after reading and citing each statute.
Does the deadline start on the crash date?
In general the period runs from when the claim accrues, which courts decide; confirm with an attorney.