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Washington car accident laws
Is Washington a no-fault state? No. Washington is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Washington gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2)).
The legal minimum liability coverage in Washington is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $10,000 for property (25/50/10).
You can recover even if you were mostly at fault; your damages are reduced in proportion to your share of fault and you are never barred outright.
Quoted from Washington statutes and official pages, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
The rules in one table
| Rule | Washington | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Three years for any other injury to the person or rights of another not otherwise enumerated | Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2) |
| Deadline for vehicle damage | Three years for taking, detaining, or injuring personal property | Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2) |
| Deadline for a wrongful death claim | Three years; RCW 4.20.010 creates the wrongful death action but does not state a limitation period, and Washington applies the three-year period of RCW 4.16.080(2) running from the date of death | RCW 4.16.080(2); Atchison v. Great Western Malting Co., 161 Wn.2d 372, 377 (2007) |
| Claims against a government body | Before suing a city, county or other local government for damages, you must present a claim to its designated agent and wait 60 calendar days; the limitation period is tolled during those 60 days. (The three-year limitation period still applies.) | Wash. Rev. Code § 4.96.020(4) |
| Insurance system | at-fault | Wash. Rev. Code § 46.30.020(1)(a) |
| If you were partly at fault | pure comparative. You can recover even if you were mostly at fault; your damages are reduced in proportion to your share of fault and you are never barred outright. | Wash. Rev. Code § 4.22.005 |
| Minimum liability coverage | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash / $10,000 property | Wash. Rev. Code § 46.29.090(1) |
| Dog bites | strict liability. A dog's owner is liable for damages when the dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, including the owner's, regardless of the dog's known viciousness or the owner's knowledge. | Wash. Rev. Code § 16.08.040(1) |
Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Washington can tell you the date that applies to you.
Next steps after a Washington crash
How to get a Washington crash report ($10.50 per report (RCW 46.52.085); no fee to search).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Washington. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Washington?
Three years for an injury claim (Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2)) and three years for vehicle damage. Shorter notice rules can apply to claims against a government.
Is Washington a no-fault state?
No. Washington 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 Washington?
Washington follows pure comparative. You can recover even if you were mostly at fault; your damages are reduced in proportion to your share of fault and you are never barred outright.
What is the minimum car insurance in Washington?
The legal minimum liability coverage in Washington is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $10,000 for property (25/50/10).
Sources
- Deadline to sue for an injury (Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2)): app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=4.16.080
The following actions shall be commenced within three years: (1) An action for waste or trespass upon real property; (2) An action for taking, detaining, or injuring personal property, including an action for the specific recovery thereof, or for any other injury to the person or rights of another not hereinafter enumerated;
- Deadline for vehicle damage (Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2)): app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=4.16.080
The following actions shall be commenced within three years: (1) An action for waste or trespass upon real property; (2) An action for taking, detaining, or injuring personal property
- Deadline for a wrongful death claim (RCW 4.16.080(2); Atchison v. Great Western Malting Co., 161 Wn.2d 372, 377 (2007)): www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/315096.ord.pdf
Unlike most states, Washington's wrongful death statutes do not contain an express statute of limitation. White v. Johns-Manville Corp., 103 Wn.2d 344, 348, 693 P.2d 687 (1985) [...]. Instead, actions for wrongful death have long been held to be subject to the three-year limitations period provided by RCW 4.16.080(2) for "injury to the person or rights of another, not hereinafter enumerated." Atchison v. Great W. Malting Co., 161 Wn.2d 372, 377, 166 P.3d 662 (2007) ("The statute of limitations for a wrongful death action in Washington is three years.")
- Claims against a government body (Wash. Rev. Code § 4.96.020(4)): app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=4.96.020
(4) No action subject to the claim filing requirements of this section shall be commenced against any local governmental entity, or against any local governmental entity's officers, employees, or volunteers, acting in such capacity, for damages arising out of tortious conduct until sixty calendar days have elapsed after the claim has first been presented to the agent of the governing body thereof.
- Insurance system (Wash. Rev. Code § 46.30.020(1)(a)): app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.30.020
(1)(a) No person may operate a motor vehicle subject to registration under chapter 46.16A RCW in this state unless the person is insured under a motor vehicle liability policy with liability limits of at least the amounts provided in RCW 46.29.090
- If you were partly at fault (Wash. Rev. Code § 4.22.005): app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=4.22.005
In an action based on fault seeking to recover damages for injury or death to person or harm to property, any contributory fault chargeable to the claimant diminishes proportionately the amount awarded as compensatory damages for an injury attributable to the claimant's contributory fault, but does not bar recovery.
- Minimum liability coverage (Wash. Rev. Code § 46.29.090(1)): app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.29.090
to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident and, subject to said limit for one person, to a limit of not less than fifty thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, and if the accident has resulted in injury to, or destruction of, property to a limit of not less than ten thousand dollars because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.
- Dog bites (Wash. Rev. Code § 16.08.040(1)): app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=16.08.040
The owner of any dog which shall bite any person while such person is in or on a public place or lawfully in or on a private place including the property of the owner of such dog, shall be liable for such damages as may be suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of such dog or the owner's knowledge of such viciousness.
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.