General information, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state.

Independent guide · not a government website

Tools

Free tools for car accident claims

Plain-English tools that show the law, not a price: filing deadlines and their dates, fault rules, who pays medical bills first and what records to keep.

Last reviewed By the Editorial team 1 min read

General information, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state.

Quick answer

These tools show what the law says for your state, using rules we have checked against official sources. They do not estimate what a claim is worth, and they never ask for your name, contact details or the facts of your accident.

The tools#

  1. ToolFault-rule explainer: how your share of blame changes a claimSlide your share of the blame and choose a state to see whether its fault rule lets you recover, and what share of your proven damages you could still claim.Reviewed
  2. ToolDeadline date calculator: when your filing deadline fallsChoose your state, the type of claim and the date of the crash to see when the general deadline to file a lawsuit would fall, and how many days are left.Reviewed
  3. ToolWho pays my medical bills? The usual order in your stateAnswer four questions to see the usual order in which PIP, MedPay, health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and the at-fault driver's insurer pay crash medical…Reviewed
  4. ToolClaim file checklist: the records to keep after a car accidentTick what happened in your crash to get a printable list of the documents and records worth keeping, from scene photos to medical bills and deadlines, with…Reviewed

Deadline lookup#

Choose your state and the kind of claim to see the general deadline for filing a lawsuit, the law behind it and the exceptions to watch for.

Deadline lookupFree · nothing is stored

Type of claim

All 50 states and DC · injury

Choose your state to see its deadline. Across the country, the time limit for this claim ranges from 1 year to 6 years.

  • 1 yr1 state
  • 2 yrs25 states
  • 3 yrs18 states
  • 4 yrs3 states
  • 5 yrs1 state
  • 6 yrs3 states

How we build the tools#

Every rule a tool uses is stored once, with the statute or court decision it comes from and the date we checked it. When a law changes, we update that one record and every page and tool that uses it changes with it. You can download the rules behind the tools as JSON from the state rules file.

Questions people ask

Are the tools free?

Yes. They are free to use, need no sign-up and store nothing you enter.

Can a tool tell me what my claim is worth?

No. We do not publish settlement estimators. Claim value depends on evidence, treatment, insurance limits and negotiation, which no short form can capture.

How current are the rules?

Each rule shows the date it was last checked against the official source. We review every state's rules at least every six months, and sooner when a legislature changes them.

Sources

  1. American Bar Association, Model Rule 1.5: Fees
  2. Alabama Legislature, Code of Alabama § 6-2-38(l) — as of October 2026
  3. Alabama Legislature, Code of Alabama § 6-5-410(d) — as of October 2026
  4. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, No. 06-11445 (applying Alabama law; Ridgeway v. CSX Transp., 723 So. 2d 600 (Ala. 1998)) — as of October 2026
  5. Alaska Legislature, Alaska Statutes § 09.10.070(a)(2) — as of October 2026
  6. Alaska Legislature, Alaska Statutes § 09.55.580(a) — as of October 2026
  7. Alaska Legislature, Alaska Statutes § 09.17.060 — as of October 2026
  8. Arizona Legislature, Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-542(1) — as of October 2026
  9. Arizona Legislature, Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-2505(A) — as of October 2026
  10. Arizona Legislature, Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-711 — as of October 2026
  11. Supreme Court of Arkansas, Shelter Mut. Ins. Co. v. Nash, 357 Ark. 581 (2004) (applying Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105) — as of October 2026
  12. Arkansas General Assembly, Arkansas Code § 16-56-105(6) — as of October 2026
  13. Arkansas General Assembly, Arkansas Code § 16-62-102(c)(1) — as of October 2026
  14. Arkansas General Assembly, Arkansas Code § 16-64-122(b) — as of October 2026
  15. California Legislature, Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 — as of October 2026
  16. California Legislature, Code of Civil Procedure § 338(c)(1) — as of October 2026
  17. Supreme Court of California, Norgart v. Upjohn Co. (1999) 21 Cal.4th 383 (via SCOCAL) — as of October 2026
  18. Supreme Court of California, Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804 (via SCOCAL) — as of October 2026
  19. Colorado General Assembly, C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I) — as of October 2026
  20. Colorado General Assembly, C.R.S. § 13-80-102(1)(d) — as of October 2026
  21. Colorado General Assembly, C.R.S. § 13-80-108(2) — as of October 2026
  22. Colorado General Assembly, C.R.S. § 13-21-111(1) — as of October 2026
  23. Connecticut General Assembly, General Statutes § 52-584 — as of October 2026
  24. Connecticut General Assembly, General Statutes § 52-555(a) — as of October 2026
  25. Connecticut General Assembly, General Statutes § 52-572h(b) — as of October 2026
  26. Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Title 10 § 8119 — as of October 2026
  27. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(8) — as of October 2026
  28. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code § 16-2702 — as of October 2026
  29. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Law 21-167 (common-law contributory negligence) — as of October 2026
  30. Council of the District of Columbia, D.C. Code § 50-2204.52 — as of October 2026
  31. Florida Legislature, Florida Statutes § 95.11(5)(a) — as of October 2026
  32. Florida Legislature, Florida Statutes § 95.031(1) — as of October 2026
  33. Florida Legislature, Florida Statutes § 768.81(6) — as of October 2026
  34. Georgia General Assembly, Official Code of Georgia § 9-3-33 — as of October 2026
  35. Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2024 edition), O.C.G.A. § 9-3-31 — as of October 2026
  36. Georgia General Assembly, Official Code of Georgia § 51-12-33(g) — as of October 2026
  37. Hawaii State Legislature, Hawaii Revised Statutes § 657-7 — as of October 2026
  38. Hawaii State Legislature, Hawaii Revised Statutes § 663-3 — as of October 2026
  39. Hawaii State Legislature, Hawaii Revised Statutes § 663-31(a) — as of October 2026
  40. Idaho Legislature, Idaho Code § 5-219(4) — as of October 2026
  41. Idaho Legislature, Idaho Code § 5-218(3) — as of October 2026
  42. Idaho Legislature, Idaho Code § 6-801 — as of October 2026
  43. Illinois General Assembly, 735 ILCS 5/13-202 — as of October 2026
  44. Illinois General Assembly, 735 ILCS 5/13-205 (text via courtrules.net) — as of October 2026
  45. Illinois General Assembly, Wrongful Death Act, 740 ILCS 180/2 — as of October 2026
  46. Illinois General Assembly, 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 — as of October 2026
  47. Indiana General Assembly, Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4 (2025 Code via Justia) — as of October 2026
  48. Indiana General Assembly, Ind. Code § 34-23-1-1 (2025 Code via Justia) — as of October 2026
  49. Indiana Court of Appeals, Davis-Brumley v. Fair Oaks Farms (Feb. 29, 2024), Indiana courts Case Clips — as of October 2026
  50. Indiana General Assembly, Ind. Code § 34-51-2-6 (2025 Code via Justia) — as of October 2026
  51. Indiana General Assembly, Ind. Code § 34-51-2-2 (2025 Code via Justia) — as of October 2026
  52. Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 614.1 (2026 Code) — as of October 2026
  53. Iowa Supreme Court, Estate of Cataldo v. RCHP-Ottumwa, LLC, No. 24-1994 (Feb. 27, 2026) — as of October 2026
  54. Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code § 668.3 (2026 Code) — as of October 2026
  55. Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 60-513 — as of October 2026
  56. Kansas Supreme Court, Martin v. Naik, No. 101,146 (May 3, 2013) — as of October 2026
  57. Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 60-258a — as of October 2026
  58. Kentucky General Assembly, KRS 304.39-230 (Motor Vehicle Reparations Act) — as of October 2026
  59. Kentucky General Assembly, KRS 413.125 — as of October 2026
  60. Kentucky General Assembly, KRS 411.182 — as of October 2026
  61. Louisiana State Legislature, Civil Code art. 3493.1 — as of October 2026
  62. Louisiana State Legislature, Civil Code art. 2315.2 — as of October 2026
  63. Louisiana State Legislature, Civil Code art. 2323 — as of October 2026
  64. Maine Legislature, 14 M.R.S. § 752 — as of October 2026
  65. Maine Legislature, 18-C M.R.S. § 2-807 — as of October 2026
  66. Maine Legislature, 14 M.R.S. § 156 — as of October 2026
  67. Maryland General Assembly, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101 — as of October 2026
  68. Maryland General Assembly, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 3-904 — as of October 2026
  69. Court of Appeals of Maryland, Coleman v. Soccer Ass'n of Columbia, No. 9, Sept. Term 2012 (July 9, 2013) — as of October 2026
  70. Maryland General Assembly, HB 466 (2026 Regular Session) status page — as of October 2026
  71. Massachusetts Legislature, General Laws c. 260 § 2A — as of October 2026
  72. Massachusetts Legislature, General Laws c. 229 § 2 — as of October 2026
  73. Massachusetts Legislature, General Laws c. 231 § 85 — as of October 2026
  74. Michigan Legislature, MCL 600.5805 — as of October 2026
  75. Michigan Legislature, MCL 600.5852 — as of October 2026
  76. Michigan Legislature, MCL 600.2959 — as of October 2026
  77. Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 541.05 — as of October 2026
  78. Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 573.02 — as of October 2026
  79. Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 604.01 — as of October 2026
  80. Mississippi Legislature, Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49 (2025 Code via Justia) — as of October 2026
  81. Mississippi Legislature, Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-13 (2025 Code via Justia) — as of October 2026
  82. Mississippi Legislature, Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-15 (2025 Code via Justia) — as of October 2026
  83. Missouri Revisor of Statutes, RSMo § 516.120 — as of October 2026
  84. Missouri Revisor of Statutes, RSMo § 537.100 — as of October 2026
  85. Supreme Court of Missouri, Lippard v. Houdaille Industries, 715 S.W.2d 491 (Mo. banc 1986) (via Justia) — as of October 2026
  86. Montana Legislature, MCA 27-2-204 — as of October 2026
  87. Montana Legislature, MCA 27-2-207 — as of October 2026
  88. Montana Legislature, MCA 27-1-702 — as of October 2026
  89. Nebraska Legislature, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-207 — as of October 2026
  90. Nebraska Legislature, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-810 — as of October 2026
  91. Nebraska Legislature, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-21,185.09 — as of October 2026
  92. Nevada Legislature, NRS 11.190 — as of October 2026
  93. Justia (2024 Nevada Revised Statutes), NRS 41.141 — as of October 2026
  94. New Hampshire General Court, RSA 508:4 — as of October 2026
  95. U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, opinion 10-NH-008 (applying RSA 556:11 and 508:4) — as of October 2026
  96. New Hampshire General Court, RSA 507:7-d — as of October 2026
  97. New Jersey Legislature, P.L.2019, c.120 (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2) — as of October 2026
  98. Justia (2025 New Jersey Revised Statutes), N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1 — as of October 2026
  99. Justia (2025 New Jersey Revised Statutes), N.J.S.A. 2A:31-3 — as of October 2026
  100. New Jersey Legislature, N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1 — as of October 2026
  101. Justia (2025 New Mexico Statutes), NMSA 1978 § 37-1-8 — as of October 2026
  102. Justia (2025 New Mexico Statutes), NMSA 1978 § 37-1-4 — as of October 2026
  103. Justia (2025 New Mexico Statutes), NMSA 1978 § 41-2-2 — as of October 2026
  104. New Mexico Supreme Court, Scott v. Rizzo, 96 N.M. 682 (1981) (Caselaw Access Project text) — as of October 2026
  105. New York State Senate, CPLR 214 — as of October 2026
  106. New York State Senate, EPTL 5-4.1 — as of October 2026
  107. New York State Senate, CPLR 1411 — as of October 2026
  108. North Carolina General Assembly, G.S. 1-52 — as of October 2026
  109. North Carolina General Assembly, G.S. 1-53 — as of October 2026
  110. UNC School of Government, On the Civil Side: 'Fault Lines: Understanding Negligence Doctrines' (2025-03-21) — as of October 2026
  111. North Dakota Legislative Assembly, N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16 — as of October 2026
  112. North Dakota Legislative Assembly, N.D.C.C. § 32-03.2-02 — as of October 2026
  113. Ohio General Assembly, Ohio Revised Code 2305.10 — as of October 2026
  114. Ohio General Assembly, Ohio Revised Code 2125.02 — as of October 2026
  115. Ohio General Assembly, Ohio Revised Code 2315.33 — as of October 2026
  116. Justia (2025 Oklahoma Statutes), 12 O.S. § 95 — as of October 2026
  117. Justia (2025 Oklahoma Statutes), 12 O.S. § 1053 — as of October 2026
  118. Justia (2025 Oklahoma Statutes), 23 O.S. § 13 — as of October 2026
  119. Oregon Legislature, ORS 12.110 — as of October 2026
  120. Oregon Legislature, ORS 30.020 — as of October 2026
  121. Oregon Legislature, ORS 31.600 — as of October 2026
  122. Pennsylvania General Assembly, 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 — as of October 2026
  123. Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Reibenstein v. Barax (2022) opinion citing Pastierik v. Duquesne Light Co. (1987) — as of October 2026
  124. Pennsylvania General Assembly, 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102 — as of October 2026
  125. Rhode Island General Assembly, R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14 — as of October 2026
  126. Rhode Island General Assembly, R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13 — as of October 2026
  127. Rhode Island General Assembly, R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-7-2 — as of October 2026
  128. Rhode Island General Assembly, R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-20-4 — as of October 2026
  129. South Carolina Legislature, S.C. Code § 15-3-530 — as of October 2026
  130. S.C. Supreme Court (via FindLaw), Hooper v. Ebenezer Senior Services & Rehabilitation Center (2009) — as of October 2026
  131. South Carolina Bar (copy of S.C. Supreme Court opinion), Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co. (1991) — as of October 2026
  132. South Dakota Legislature, SDCL 15-2-14 — as of October 2026
  133. South Dakota Legislature, SDCL 15-2-13 — as of October 2026
  134. South Dakota Legislature, SDCL 21-5-3 — as of October 2026
  135. South Dakota Legislature, SDCL 20-9-2 — as of October 2026
  136. Justia (2025 Tennessee Code), Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104 — as of October 2026
  137. Justia (2025 Tennessee Code), Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-105 — as of October 2026
  138. U.S. District Court N.D. Ala. (govinfo), Murphy v. McGriff Transportation (2012), quoting Tennessee case law — as of October 2026
  139. Tennessee Board of Law Examiners (torts outline quoting Tenn. Supreme Court), McIntyre v. Balentine (1992) — as of October 2026
  140. Texas Legislature, Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003(a) — as of October 2026
  141. Texas Legislature, Civil Practice and Remedies Code §§ 33.001, 33.012 — as of October 2026
  142. Texas Legislature, Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001 — as of October 2026
  143. Utah Legislature, Utah Code § 78B-2-307 — as of October 2026
  144. Utah Legislature, Utah Code § 78B-2-304 — as of October 2026
  145. U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Cir. (applying Utah law), Maughan v. SW Servicing, 758 F.2d 1381 (1985) — as of October 2026
  146. Utah Legislature, Utah Code § 78B-5-818 — as of October 2026
  147. Vermont General Assembly, 12 V.S.A. § 512 — as of October 2026
  148. Vermont General Assembly, 14 V.S.A. § 1492 — as of October 2026
  149. Vermont General Assembly, 12 V.S.A. § 1036 — as of October 2026
  150. Virginia General Assembly, Code of Virginia § 8.01-243 — as of October 2026
  151. Virginia General Assembly, Code of Virginia § 8.01-244 — as of October 2026
  152. Supreme Court of Virginia, Williams v. Harrison, Record No. 970880 (1998) — as of October 2026
  153. Washington State Legislature, RCW 4.16.080 — as of October 2026
  154. Washington Supreme Court, Deggs v. Asbestos Corp. Ltd., No. 91969-1 (2016) — as of October 2026
  155. Washington State Legislature, RCW 4.22.005 — as of October 2026
  156. West Virginia Legislature, W. Va. Code § 55-2-12 — as of October 2026
  157. West Virginia Legislature, W. Va. Code § 55-7-6 — as of October 2026
  158. West Virginia Legislature, W. Va. Code § 55-7-13c — as of October 2026
  159. Wisconsin Legislature, Wis. Stat. § 893.54 — as of October 2026
  160. Wisconsin Legislature, Wis. Stat. § 893.52 — as of October 2026
  161. Wisconsin Legislature, Wis. Stat. § 895.045 — as of October 2026
  162. Wyoming Legislature, Wyo. Stat. Title 1, § 1-3-105 — as of October 2026
  163. Justia (2025 Wyoming Statutes), Wyo. Stat. § 1-38-102 — as of October 2026

Last reviewed October 29, 2026 by the Accident Claim Facts editorial team. Found an error? Tell us.

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