How long do I have to report a car accident to my insurance?
If you were involved in a car accident and wish to pursue compensation, one of the first things you need to do is contact your insurance company. Your carrier may not have a specific deadline, or “statute of limitations,” for filing your claim. Instead, they may require that you file a claim “as soon as possible” or “within reasonable time.”
The amount of time in which a person can file a car accident claim varies by state. This time limit is called a statute of limitations. If you don’t file your insurance claim by the deadline, the court will most likely reject your claim, even if you were just a week or a few days late. If your insurance company doesn’t have a specific deadline, you should still try and file your claim as soon as possible.
The time frame to file your car accident insurance claim begins on the day of the accident, although you should check your state’s statute of limitations laws to make sure. It’s important to understand that personal injury claims will often have a different statute of limitations than property damage claims.
Again, check with your state’s laws to make sure you file your claim in time. Below are the personal injury statute of limitations for each state, as well as the District of Columbia. No matter what state your car crash was in, our expert auto accident lawyers at Get Car Accident Money will work to recover the compensation you need. Contact us today for a free case consultation.
- States with a one-year statute of limitations for injury claims:
- Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee
- States with a two-year statute of limitations for injury claims:
- Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia
- States with a three-year statute of limitations for injury claims:
- Arkansas, Colorado (injuries from motor vehicle accidents), District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin
- States with a four-year statute of limitations for injury claims:
- Florida, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming
- States with a five-year statute of limitations for injury claims:
- Missouri
- States with a six-year statute of limitations for injury claims:
- Maine and North Dakota
Keep in mind that the above deadlines are for bodily injury claims only. The statute of limitations for property damage claims differs by state and can be found below. Our auto accident attorneys at Get Car Accident Money have experience recovering compensation for both types of claims. Call us or contact us online for a free case consultation today.
- States with a one-year deadline to file property damage claims:
- Louisiana
- States with a two-year deadline to file property damage claims:
- Alaska (personal property), Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana (personal property), Kansas, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia
- States with a three-year deadline to file property damage claims:
- Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Idaho, Kentucky (personal property), Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Washington
- States with a four-year deadline to file property damage claims:
- Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming
- States with a five-year deadline to file property damage claims:
- Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky (real property), Missouri, and Virginia
- States with a six-year deadline to file property damage claims:
- Alabama, Alaska (real property), Indiana (real property), Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
- States with a ten-year deadline to file property damage claims:
- Rhode Island
How long you can wait before filing a claim depends on the terms of your insurance policy. Although most insurance companies allow you to notify them within 30 days of an accident, it’s best to contact your agent as soon as possible. This will help get the ball rolling faster if you want to file a claim.
Make sure you’re familiar with the terms of your insurance policy. If you do not notify your provider of your accident promptly, this can allow your insurer to deny coverage later.