Car Accident Laws by State (2026)
Whether the at-fault driver's insurer pays (tort states) or your own does first (no-fault states), and how much shared blame costs you: depends entirely on your state. Select yours.
Compare car accident systems by state
No-fault determines which policy pays first. Comparative negligence determines how shared blame changes a recovery. Open a state guide for both rules, PIP details, damage limits, and the applicable filing deadline.
| State | Insurance system | General injury deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | At-fault | 2 years |
| Alaska | At-fault | 2 years |
| Arizona | At-fault | 2 years |
| Arkansas | Add-on benefits | 3 years |
| California | At-fault | 2 years |
| Colorado | At-fault | 2 years |
| Connecticut | At-fault | 2 years |
| Delaware | Add-on benefits | 2 years |
| Florida | No-fault | 2 years |
| Georgia | At-fault | 2 years |
| Hawaii | No-fault | 2 years |
| Idaho | At-fault | 2 years |
| Illinois | At-fault | 2 years |
| Indiana | At-fault | 2 years |
| Iowa | At-fault | 2 years |
| Kansas | No-fault | 2 years |
| Kentucky | Choice no-fault | 1 year |
| Louisiana | At-fault | 2 years |
| Maine | At-fault | 6 years |
| Maryland | Add-on benefits | 3 years |
| Massachusetts | No-fault | 3 years |
| Michigan | No-fault | 3 years |
| Minnesota | No-fault | 6 years |
| Mississippi | At-fault | 3 years |
| Missouri | At-fault | 5 years |
| Montana | At-fault | 3 years |
| Nebraska | At-fault | 4 years |
| Nevada | At-fault | 2 years |
| New Hampshire | Add-on benefits | 3 years |
| New Jersey | Choice no-fault | 2 years |
| New Mexico | At-fault | 3 years |
| New York | No-fault | 3 years |
| North Carolina | At-fault | 3 years |
| North Dakota | No-fault | 6 years |
| Ohio | At-fault | 2 years |
| Oklahoma | At-fault | 2 years |
| Oregon | Add-on benefits | 2 years |
| Pennsylvania | Choice no-fault | 2 years |
| Rhode Island | At-fault | 3 years |
| South Carolina | At-fault | 3 years |
| South Dakota | Add-on benefits | 3 years |
| Tennessee | At-fault | 1 year |
| Texas | Add-on benefits | 2 years |
| Utah | No-fault | 4 years |
| Vermont | At-fault | 3 years |
| Virginia | At-fault | 2 years |
| Washington | Add-on benefits | 3 years |
| West Virginia | At-fault | 2 years |
| Wisconsin | Add-on benefits | 3 years |
| Wyoming | At-fault | 4 years |
| Washington, D.C. | Choice no-fault | 3 years |
Then estimate your claim with the car accident settlement calculator.
General legal information, not legal advice. Claimelo is not a law firm. Laws and deadlines depend on your circumstances and may change. Consult a licensed attorney about your situation.