1. General Personal Injury (Negligence)

   • 2 years from the date of the injury or accident.

This timeframe applies to the majority of personal injury claims, which include:

• Car, motorcycle, and truck accidents
• Slip & fall (premises liability)
• Dog bites
• Product liability cases
• Assault & battery (civil claim)
• False imprisonment

Regulated by California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) § 335.1.

2.  Wrongful Death

• 2 years from the date of the deceased individual’s passing.

Also governed by CCP § 335.1 (but calculated from the date of death, not the injury).
 

3.  Claims Against Government Entities (Tort Claims)

Claims against public entities (such as city, county, or state) do not commence with a standard lawsuit. Instead, you must submit a government claim in accordance with the California Government Claims Act (Gov. Code § 911.2):

• 6 months from the date of the injury to submit a written claim to the agency.
• The government has approximately 45 days to provide a response.
• If the claim is denied, you typically have 6 months from the date of the rejection notice to initiate a lawsuit.
• If no timely response is received, a lawsuit must generally be filed within the standard 2-year timeframe.

Important: The 6-month administrative deadline is stringent – even for minors. Failing to adhere to it can prevent you from suing the government.

4.  Property Damage (Connected to Injury)

• 3 years from the date the damage occurred (for instance, vehicle or property damage).

-> Governed by CCP § 338.

5.  Exceptions & Tolling (Pausing the Clock)

In some cases, the filing deadline may be extended (“tolled”):