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Arkansas car accident laws
Arkansas gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Ark. Code § 16-56-105(3) (as applied by U.S. District Court, E.D. Ark.)).
Arkansas is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
The legal minimum liability coverage in Arkansas is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you recover nothing if your fault is equal to or greater than the other party's (50% or more).
Quoted from Arkansas statutes and official pages, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
The rules in one table
| Rule | Arkansas | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Three years after the cause of action accrues (date of injury) | Ark. Code § 16-56-105(3) (as applied by U.S. District Court, E.D. Ark.) |
| Deadline for vehicle damage | Three years after the cause of action accrues (injury to goods or chattels) | Ark. Code § 16-56-105(6) |
| Deadline for a wrongful death claim | Three years after the death | Ark. Code § 16-62-102(c)(1) |
| Insurance system | at-fault | Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance |
| If you were partly at fault | modified comparative (50% bar). If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you recover nothing if your fault is equal to or greater than the other party's (50% or more). | Ark. Code § 16-64-122(b) |
| Minimum liability coverage | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash / $25,000 property | Ark. Code § 27-22-104(b) |
| Dog bites | one-bite (negligence). Arkansas has no dog-bite statute; an owner of a dog known to be vicious is strictly liable, and otherwise negligence must be shown. | No Arkansas dog-bite statute; Justia 50-State Survey (secondary source) |
| Cap on pain-and-suffering damages | No general cap for injury cases | Ark. Const. art. 5, § 32 |
Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Arkansas can tell you the date that applies to you.
Next steps after an Arkansas crash
How to get an Arkansas crash report ($10 per report if you were involved in the crash; $25 per report if you were not involved (the portal's own page states $25.00)).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Arkansas. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Arkansas?
Three years for an injury claim (Ark. Code § 16-56-105(3) (as applied by U.S. District Court, E.D. Ark.)) and three years for vehicle damage. Shorter notice rules can apply to claims against a government.
Is Arkansas a no-fault state?
No. Arkansas is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault in Arkansas?
Arkansas follows modified comparative (50% bar). If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you recover nothing if your fault is equal to or greater than the other party's (50% or more).
What is the minimum car insurance in Arkansas?
The legal minimum liability coverage in Arkansas is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (25/50/25).
Sources
- Deadline to sue for an injury (Ark. Code § 16-56-105(3) (as applied by U.S. District Court, E.D. Ark.)): www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ared-5_09-cv-00061/pdf/USCOURTS-ared-5_09-c
In Arkansas, the personal injury statute of limitations period is three years. Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105(3).
- Deadline for vehicle damage (Ark. Code § 16-56-105(6)): law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-16/subtitle-5/chapter-56/subchapter-1/sectio
The following actions shall be commenced within three (3) years after the cause of action accrues: (1) All actions founded upon any contract, obligation, or liability not under seal and not in writing, excepting such as are brought upon the judgment or decree of some court of record of the United States or of this or some other state; (2) All actions for arrearages of rent not reserved by some instrument in writing, under seal; (3) All actions founded on any contract or liability, expressed or implied; (4) All actions for trespass on lands; (5) All actions for libels; and (6) All actions for t…
- Deadline for a wrongful death claim (Ark. Code § 16-62-102(c)(1)): law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-16/subtitle-5/chapter-62/section-16-62-102/
(c)(1) Every action authorized by this section shall be commenced within three (3) years after the death of the person alleged to have been wrongfully killed
- Insurance system (Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance): www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance
Twelve states and Puerto Rico have no-fault auto insurance laws. Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania have verbal thresholds. The other seven states—Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah—use a monetary threshold. Three states have a "choice" no-fault law. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, motorists may reject the lawsuit threshold and retain the right to sue for any auto-related injury.
- If you were partly at fault (Ark. Code § 16-64-122(b)): law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-16/subtitle-5/chapter-64/section-16-64-122/
(b)(1) If the fault chargeable to a party claiming damages is of a lesser degree than the fault chargeable to the party or parties from whom the claiming party seeks to recover damages, then the claiming party is entitled to recover the amount of his or her damages after they have been diminished in proportion to the degree of his or her own fault. (2) If the fault chargeable to a party claiming damages is equal to or greater in degree than any fault chargeable to the party or parties from whom the claiming party seeks to recover damages, then the claiming party is not entitled to recover such…
- Minimum liability coverage (Ark. Code § 27-22-104(b)): law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-27/subtitle-2/chapter-22/subchapter-1/sectio
(b) The policy shall provide at a minimum the following coverage: (1) Not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for bodily injury or death of one (1) person in any one (1) accident; (2) Not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for bodily injury or death of two (2) or more persons in any one (1) accident; and (3) If the accident results in damage to or destruction of property, not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for the damage to or destruction of property of others in any one (1) accident.
- Dog bites (No Arkansas dog-bite statute; Justia 50-State Survey (secondary source)): www.justia.com/injury/premises-liability/animal-dog-bites/dog-bite-law-50-state-
There is no Arkansas dog bite statute. The Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled that the one-bite rule (which it calls "strict liability") applies with regard to a dog known to be vicious. For example, if an owner keeps a dog known to be vicious in a cage and takes considerable precautions to prevent its escape, the owner will be strictly liable if the dog escapes and attacks someone else, regardless of the precautions taken by the owner to prevent the dog's escape. Meanwhile, the Arkansas Supreme Court has noted that negligence is the appropriate legal theory when a dog is not known to be vicious…
- Cap on pain-and-suffering damages (Ark. Const. art. 5, § 32): 50constitutions.org/ar/constitution/section-id-60675
Provided, that otherwise no law shall be enacted limiting the amount to be recovered for injuries resulting in death or for injuries to persons or property;
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.