Washington Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury
Do not rely on a generic deadline
A Washington injury deadline can change based on the type of claim, the date harm was discovered, who the defendant is, whether the injured person is a minor, and whether a death or malpractice rule applies. Use this page as a deadline-research checklist, not as a legal conclusion.
Deadline questions to verify
| Issue | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Personal injury | General civil limitation period, discovery rules, tolling, and defendant-specific notice rules. |
| Wrongful death | Whether the period is measured from injury, death, appointment of a representative, or another statutory event. |
| Medical malpractice | Malpractice-specific filing period, statute of repose, pre-suit screening, expert affidavit, and notice requirements. |
| Government defendant | Administrative notice or claim-presentation deadlines that may be shorter than ordinary lawsuits. |
Related Washington pages
Narrow the deadline research by claim type.
Official sources to verify
- USA.gov state government directory for official Washington agencies, courts, and legislative portals.
- United States Courts for federal court background and court-system information.
- Current state statutes, court rules, and local filing procedures should be checked before anyone relies on a deadline.