Deadline review
California Filing Deadlines
A missed deadline ends a claim regardless of its merits, and the clock is shorter than most people expect when a public entity or a medical provider is involved. These pages cover the deadline for each claim type and the exceptions that move it.
California Bicycle Accident Statute of LimitationsTwo years from the crash for a California bicycle injury claim. A roadway or bike-lane defect can bring a government entity into it, with a six-month claim deadline — and the scene evidence these claims rely on fades fast.California Dog Bite Statute of LimitationsTwo years from the date of the bite for a California dog-bite injury claim. The exceptions are what catch people out: a six-month clock when a government entity is involved, and a pause until age eighteen when the victim is a child.California Medical Malpractice Statute of LimitationsThe malpractice deadline is one year from when you discovered the harm or three years from the injury, whichever comes first — shorter and more complex than an ordinary injury claim, with a required 90-day notice and special rules for children.California Motorcycle Accident Statute of LimitationsTwo years from the crash for a California motorcycle injury claim. A road defect can bring a government entity in on a six-month clock, and the severe injuries common on a motorcycle can pull attention away from the deadline entirely.California Nursing Home Abuse Statute of LimitationsTwo years for elder neglect and physical abuse, and four years for financial abuse — but if a facility recharacterises neglect as medical malpractice, a shorter one-year clock may be argued. Which label applies can decide whether the claim survives.California Pedestrian Accident Statute of LimitationsTwo years from the crash for a California pedestrian injury claim. But a poorly designed crosswalk, a broken signal, or a government vehicle can bring a six-month deadline — and the severe injuries common here can distract from the clock entirely.California Product Liability Statute of LimitationsTwo years from the injury for a California defective-product claim — but the discovery rule matters more here than almost anywhere, because a product can injure you long before you realize the product was the cause.California Rideshare Accident Statute of LimitationsTwo years from the crash for a California Uber or Lyft injury claim. But the trip data that proves which policy applies, and the six-month deadline when a public entity is involved, both run on much shorter clocks than the two years.California Slip and Fall Statute of LimitationsTwo years from the date of the fall for a California slip-and-fall injury claim. But a fall on public property brings a six-month government-claim deadline that comes first — and the evidence that proves these claims disappears even faster.California Statute of Limitations for Injury ClaimsTwo years from the date of injury for most California injury claims, including car accidents. The exceptions are what catch people out: six months against a government entity, one year for medical malpractice, and a separate three-year clock for vehicle damage.California Statute of Limitations for Wrongful DeathTwo years from the date of death, not the date of the injury that caused it — a distinction that matters whenever someone survives for a period before dying. There is also a second, separate claim belonging to the estate, with its own deadline.What If You Missed the Filing Deadline?Sometimes the deadline has not passed, because it started later or was paused, or because a different defendant or a different claim carries a longer period. Sometimes it has, and the honest answer is that the claim is over. Both are worth establishing quickly.Truck Accident Evidence and Statute of Limitations in CaliforniaThe evidence that proves a truck claim — driver logs, black-box data, maintenance records — is on a federal destruction clock measured in months, far shorter than the two-year deadline to file. Acting on the evidence early is what protects the claim.