Texas Personal Injury Statute of Limitations Calculator
Use this calculator to find your exact filing deadline for a personal injury claim in Texas. Enter your incident date and circumstances below for an instant result, including any tolling extensions that may apply to your situation.
Covers car accidents, slip and fall, dog bites, premises liability, and other general negligence claims. For medical malpractice, product liability, wrongful death, or other claim types — use the case type selector below.
Unfamiliar with any terms? Glossary of Terms
3. Incident Details
4. Special Circumstances
Texas's personal injury statute of limitations is governed by the state's civil procedure and limitations statutes. Claims against state agencies, municipalities, or other government entities in Texas may require filing a formal notice of claim before suit can be commenced — notice deadlines vary by entity type and are often shorter than the civil filing deadline. Under state law, the limitations period is tolled for minor claimants until they reach the age of majority at 18.
Looking for debt-specific deadlines? Our Debt Statute of Limitations Calculator covers written contracts, oral agreements, credit cards, and promissory notes with revival warnings by state.
Texas's personal injury statute of limitations of 2 years matches 24 other states; the national median is also 2 years.
📊 Texas Personal Injury Deadline vs Neighbors & National Median
About This Calculator
This calculator finds your exact filing deadline for a personal injury claim in Texas. It applies Texas's specific statute of limitations period, checks whether the discovery rule extends your deadline, accounts for tolling if the injured party was a minor, and flags any special notice requirements if your claim involves a government entity. Enter your incident date — or discovery date if the harm wasn't immediately apparent — and the calculator counts forward using Texas's exact rule to show your filing deadline, the time remaining, and an urgency status. Results are based on verified state statute citations, not general estimates.
⚖️ Texas Civil Procedure & Refiling Rules
Texas doesn't have a broad savings statute, but it does provide a narrow 60-day window to refile after a case is dismissed specifically for lack of jurisdiction (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §16.064) — a much narrower protection than states with general non-merits-dismissal savings statutes, and it doesn't extend to dismissals for other procedural reasons.
What is a Personal Injury Claim?
Statute of Limitations Deadline Calculation Formula
Here is how the calculation methodology works using representative illustrative figures (hypothetical example only — see Texas's actual deadlines in the sections above):
- Incident Date: June 1, 2024
- Statutory Period: 2 years (730 days)
- Discovery Date (if delayed discovery applies): September 1, 2024
- Standard Filing Deadline: June 1, 2026 (2 years from incident)
- Discovery-Extended Deadline: September 1, 2026 (2 years from discovery)
How Texas's Personal Injury Deadline Works
Under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, Texas provides 2 years to file a personal injury lawsuit. The clock typically begins when the injury was discovered — or when it reasonably should have been discovered — rather than on the date the harm occurred. This is known as the discovery rule. Texas extends the filing window by up to 1 additional year under the discovery rule.
Texas's personal injury statute of limitations is governed by the state's civil procedure and limitations statutes. Claims against state agencies, municipalities, or other government entities in Texas may require filing a formal notice of claim before suit can be commenced — notice deadlines vary by entity type and are often shorter than the civil filing deadline. Under state law, the limitations period is tolled for minor claimants until they reach the age of majority at 18.
Special Circumstances
Government entity claims: If the defendant is a government entity, Texas requires a formal administrative claim notice to be filed within 6 months of the incident before a lawsuit may be filed. Missing this notice deadline permanently bars the claim. After the claim is rejected, you have 12 months to file suit.
Minor claimants: If the injured person was a minor at the time of the incident, Texas tolls the statute of limitations until they reach age 18.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline
If a lawsuit is filed after the statute of limitations expires, the defendant can ask the court to dismiss the case as time-barred — and courts almost always grant this motion, regardless of how strong the underlying claim is. The right to sue is lost permanently; there is no general exception for not knowing the deadline existed. A small number of circumstances can pause or extend the clock, covered in the Special Circumstances section above if they apply to your claim type and state. If your deadline is approaching or may have already passed, contact a licensed attorney immediately — some exceptions are themselves time-sensitive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does minor tolling affect personal injury deadlines in Texas?
Texas tolls the personal injury statute of limitations for minors, pausing the clock until they reach age 18. Upon turning 18, the standard filing period begins to run in full. However, Texas imposes a strict absolute cap on tolling for medical malpractice claims involving minors, limiting the extension drastically.
Is medical malpractice governed by the Texas personal injury deadline?
Medical malpractice in Texas is strictly governed by the Texas Medical Liability Act, not general tort laws. The Act enforces a rigid statute of repose and requires an expert report to be filed shortly after the lawsuit is initiated. General personal injury deadlines are irrelevant to claims against doctors or hospitals.
What is the time limit for wrongful death claims in Texas?
If an injury proves fatal, the case must be filed under the Texas wrongful death statute. The deadline for this claim generally begins on the date of the victim's passing and is entirely separate from standard injury claims. The surviving spouse, children, or parents may bring the action.
What are the rules for suing a government agency for personal injury in Texas?
Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, you must file a formal administrative notice of claim before suing any government entity. This preliminary claim must generally be filed within six months of the injury, though local municipalities often enforce even shorter deadlines via city charter. Missing this notice deadline generally destroys your right to file a lawsuit.
Does Texas use comparative negligence for personal injury?
Texas follows a modified comparative negligence rule, known as proportionate responsibility, with a 51% bar. A plaintiff can recover financial damages as long as their fault is not greater than 50%. If the plaintiff is found to be 51% or more responsible, they are completely barred from recovery.
Other Texas Civil Statutes
Explore filing limits and calculator tools for other civil claims in the state of Texas:
This tool is for informational and educational reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Statutes of limitations vary by jurisdiction and can be affected by tolling, government claim notice requirements, and other exceptions. Always consult a licensed attorney before making legal decisions.