State-by-state comparison
Car accident laws in all 50 states
The rules that most affect an accident claim: how long you have to file, how fault reduces compensation, whether your state is no-fault, and the minimum insurance drivers must carry. Click a state for details and citations.
A few patterns stand out. Only 4 states still use contributory negligence, where any fault on your part can block recovery. 12 states send injury claims through no-fault or choice no-fault insurance first. And the general deadline to sue for an injury runs from 1 to 6 years, depending on where the crash happened.
Hover or tap a state
- Pure comparative (9)
- Modified – 51% bar (26)
- Modified – 50% bar (10)
- Slight/gross (1)
- Contributory negligence (4)
Click a state for its rules and sources. Some states have exceptions (for example, New York's 2026 rule applies only to no-fault injury lawsuits).
| State | Injury deadline | Property damage | Fault rule | Insurance system | Minimum liability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2 yr | 6 yr | Contributory negligence | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Alaska | 2 yr | 2 yr | Pure comparative fault | At-fault (tort) | $50K / $100K / $25K |
| Arizona | 2 yr | 2 yr | Pure comparative fault | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $15K |
| Arkansas | 3 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| California | 2 yr | 3 yr | Pure comparative fault | At-fault (tort) | $30K / $60K / $15K |
| Colorado | 3 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $15K |
| Connecticut | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Delaware | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $10K |
| Florida | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | No-fault | See page |
| Georgia | 2 yr | 4 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Hawaii | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | No-fault | $40K / $80K / $20K |
| Idaho | 2 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $15K |
| Illinois | 2 yr | 5 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $20K |
| Indiana | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Iowa | 2 yr | 5 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $20K / $40K / $15K |
| Kansas | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | No-fault | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Kentucky | 2 yr | 2 yr | Pure comparative fault | Choice no-fault | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Louisiana | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $15K / $30K / $25K |
| Maine | 6 yr | 6 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $50K / $100K / $25K |
| Maryland | 3 yr | 3 yr | Contributory negligence | At-fault (tort) | $30K / $60K / $15K |
| Massachusetts | 3 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | No-fault | $25K / $50K / $30K |
| Michigan | 3 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | No-fault | $50K / $100K / $10K |
| Minnesota | 6 yr | 6 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | No-fault | $30K / $60K / $10K |
| Mississippi | 3 yr | 3 yr | Pure comparative fault | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Missouri | 5 yr | 5 yr | Pure comparative fault | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Montana | 3 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $20K |
| Nebraska | 4 yr | 4 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Nevada | 2 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $20K |
| New Hampshire | 3 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| New Jersey | 2 yr | 6 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | Choice no-fault | $35K / $70K / $25K |
| New Mexico | 3 yr | 4 yr | Pure comparative fault | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $10K |
| New York | 3 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | No-fault | $25K / $50K / $10K |
| North Carolina | 3 yr | 3 yr | Contributory negligence | At-fault (tort) | $50K / $100K / $50K |
| North Dakota | 6 yr | 6 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | No-fault | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Ohio | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Oklahoma | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Oregon | 2 yr | 6 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $20K |
| Pennsylvania | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | Choice no-fault | $15K / $30K / $5K |
| Rhode Island | 3 yr | 10 yr | Pure comparative fault | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| South Carolina | 3 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| South Dakota | 3 yr | 6 yr | Slight/gross comparative negligence | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Tennessee | 1 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Texas | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $30K / $60K / $25K |
| Utah | 4 yr | 4 yr | Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | No-fault | $30K / $65K / $25K |
| Vermont | 3 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $10K |
| Virginia | 2 yr | 5 yr | Contributory negligence | At-fault (tort) | $50K / $100K / $25K |
| Washington | 3 yr | 3 yr | Pure comparative fault | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $10K |
| West Virginia | 2 yr | 2 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $25K |
| Wisconsin | 3 yr | 3 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $10K |
| Wyoming | 4 yr | 4 yr | Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | At-fault (tort) | $25K / $50K / $20K |
Minimum liability is shown as bodily injury per person / per accident / property damage. Deadlines are the general rule; exceptions apply. Each state page links to the statute.
How to read this table
Injury deadline is the general statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit. It is not the deadline for notifying your insurer (that is set by your policy), and claims against a city, county or state agency often have a much shorter notice deadline. Use our filing deadline calculator to turn the rule into a date.
Fault rule decides what happens when both drivers share blame. Under pure comparative fault your award is reduced by your share of fault; modified rules cut you off at 50% or 51%; contributory negligence can bar recovery entirely. Try the fault estimator or read comparative fault explained.
Insurance system: in no-fault states your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays first regardless of who caused the crash, and you can only sue the other driver once your injuries meet a legal threshold. See no-fault vs. at-fault insurance.