is the general statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Arizona.
If you were injured in Arizona due to someone else’s negligence — a car accident, slip and fall, dog bite, defective product, or similar incident — you generally have 2 years from the date of the injury to file a civil lawsuit seeking compensation. If this deadline passes before you file, Arizona courts will almost always dismiss your case, regardless of how strong your evidence is or how badly you were hurt.
What Starts the Clock?
In most cases, the statute of limitations begins running on the date you were injured. However, Arizona, like most states, generally recognizes a “discovery rule” for certain injuries that aren’t immediately obvious — for example, some medical malpractice or toxic exposure cases — which can delay the start date to when you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the injury and its cause.
Exceptions That Can Change Your Deadline
- Claims against the government. If your injury involved a government vehicle, employee, or property (a city bus, a pothole on a state road, a public school), you likely face a much shorter notice deadline — often just 90 to 180 days — separate from and in addition to the general statute of limitations above.
- Injuries to minors. Many states pause, or “toll,” the statute of limitations while an injured person is under 18, though the specific rules vary.
- Wrongful death and medical malpractice. These claim types sometimes carry their own, different deadlines separate from the general personal injury statute of limitations.
Because these exceptions are fact-specific and can dramatically change your actual deadline, the safest step after any injury is to consult a licensed Arizona personal injury attorney as early as possible — ideally within days or weeks, not months.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline?
Missing the statute of limitations is one of the few mistakes in a personal injury claim that usually cannot be fixed. Once the deadline passes, the at-fault party (or their insurance company) can ask the court to dismiss your case entirely — and courts almost always grant that request. This is true even if liability is clear and your damages are severe. Insurance adjusters are aware of these deadlines and have little incentive to negotiate fairly once you’re close to running out the clock, which is another reason to act early rather than waiting.
Not sure where you stand?
Use our Personal Injury Settlement Calculator to get a free estimate of your case’s potential value.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Statutes of limitations, discovery rules, and exceptions are complex, fact-specific, and subject to change. Consult a licensed attorney in Arizona to confirm the exact deadline that applies to your case.