HomeLaws by state
Car accident laws by state
Four rules decide most of what happens after a crash: how long you have to sue, whether your own insurance pays first (no-fault) or the other driver's does (at-fault), what happens if you were partly to blame, and how much insurance the other driver must carry. Here they are for every state, each from the statute.
Checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
DeadlinesNo-fault statesPartial faultMinimum insurance
| State | Injury deadline | System | Partly at fault | Minimums |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | two years | At-fault | contributory | 25/50/25 |
| Alaska | two years | At-fault | pure comparative | 50/100/25 |
| Arizona | two years | At-fault | pure comparative | 25/50/15 |
| Arkansas | three years | At-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| California | two years | At-fault | pure comparative | 30/60/15 |
| Colorado | three years | At-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 25/50/15 |
| Connecticut | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Delaware | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/10 |
| District of Columbia | three years | contributory | 25/50/10 | |
| Florida | two years | No-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | see state |
| Georgia | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Hawaii | two years | No-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 40/80/20 |
| Idaho | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 25/50/15 |
| Illinois | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/20 |
| Indiana | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Iowa | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 20/40/15 |
| Kansas | two years | No-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Kentucky | two years | Choice | pure comparative | 25/50/25 |
| Louisiana | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 15/30/25 |
| Maine | six years | At-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 50/100/25 |
| Maryland | three years | At-fault | contributory | 30/60/15 |
| Massachusetts | three years | No-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/30 |
| Michigan | three years | No-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 50/100/10 |
| Minnesota | six years | No-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 30/60/10 |
| Mississippi | three years | At-fault | pure comparative | 25/50/25 |
| Missouri | five years | At-fault | pure comparative | 25/50/25 |
| Montana | three years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/20 |
| Nebraska | four years | At-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Nevada | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/20 |
| New Hampshire | three years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| New Jersey | two years | Choice | modified comparative (51% bar) | 35/70/25 |
| New Mexico | three years | At-fault | pure comparative | 25/50/10 |
| New York | three years | No-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/10 |
| North Carolina | three years | At-fault | contributory | 50/100/50 |
| North Dakota | six years | No-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Ohio | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Oklahoma | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Oregon | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/20 |
| Pennsylvania | two years | Choice | modified comparative (51% bar) | 15/30/5 |
| Rhode Island | three years | At-fault | pure comparative | 25/50/25 |
| South Carolina | three years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| South Dakota | three years | At-fault | slight/gross comparison | 25/50/25 |
| Tennessee | one year | At-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Texas | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 30/60/25 |
| Utah | four years | No-fault | modified comparative (50% bar) | 30/65/25 |
| Vermont | three years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/10 |
| Virginia | two years | At-fault | contributory | 50/100/25 |
| Washington | three years | At-fault | pure comparative | 25/50/10 |
| West Virginia | two years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/25 |
| Wisconsin | three years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/10 |
| Wyoming | four years | At-fault | modified comparative (51% bar) | 25/50/20 |