1 jurisdiction · Five-Year PI deadline

States with a 5-Year Personal Injury Statute of Limitations

Missouri is the one state where a personal injury lawsuit must generally be filed within 5 years of the date of injury. Every row cites the controlling state code or court decision.

Updated 2026-05-22 · See all 50 states

Key facts

Personal injury deadline: 5 years
Jurisdictions in this group: 1
States: Missouri
When the clock starts: Generally the date of injury. Most states apply a discovery rule that delays the start when the injury was not, or could not reasonably have been, discovered at the time it occurred.
Last verified: 2026-05-22 (each state row cites the primary source)

Missouri is the only US jurisdiction with a five-year general personal injury deadline under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120. Wrongful death is shorter (three years), and medical malpractice has its own two-year deadline under § 516.105. The five-year window is one of the most generous in the country, giving claimants substantial time to evaluate and prepare a claim.

The 1 5-year jurisdiction

State	Wrongful death	Statute	Details
Missouri	3 years	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120	Details →

Informational only and not legal advice. Notice deadlines for medical malpractice, claims against government entities, and intentional torts run on separate tracks and can be much shorter. Confirm the controlling rule with a licensed attorney.

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Five-Year Statute of Limitations FAQ

Which states have a 5-year personal injury statute of limitations?

1 US jurisdiction use a 5-year general personal injury filing deadline: Missouri. Each state's deadline is set by its own legislature, and each row below cites the controlling statute or court decision.

How does a 5-year deadline compare to other states?

Personal injury deadlines in the U.S. run from one year (Kentucky and Tennessee) to six years (Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota). A 5-year deadline is longer than most states.

Does the 5-year deadline also apply to wrongful death claims?

Not always. Wrongful death deadlines often differ from the general personal injury deadline within the same state, and they typically run from the date of death rather than the date of injury. The table below shows the wrongful death deadline for each state when it differs.