Key facts: Michigan
- When the clock starts
- Generally the date of injury for personal injury claims; the date of death for wrongful death. Michigan follows the discovery rule for most negligence claims, which delays accrual when the injury was not, or could not reasonably have been, discovered at the time.
- Last verified
- 2026-05-22
- Source type
- Primary (state code or court opinion)
Details and exceptions for Michigan
Three years for PI from the date of injury. Wrongful death follows the same three-year period (running from the underlying tort, often the accident date, not the date of death). MCL § 600.5852 provides a savings provision giving the personal representative up to two additional years after appointment.
Related: Michigan comparative negligence rule
Michigan follows a modified 51% bar rule. Hybrid scheme: pure comparative fault for economic damages, but a 51% bar for non-economic damages when the plaintiff’s fault is "greater than" the aggregate fault of others. The cutoff for non-economic damages is treated as the modified-51 threshold here.
Read the full Michigan comparative negligence rule →This page is informational and does not constitute legal advice. Notice deadlines for claims against governmental units, medical malpractice, intentional torts, and other special categories run on separate tracks and can be much shorter. Confirm the controlling rule with a licensed Michigan attorney before relying on it.