Pennsylvania Filing Deadline Checker
Pennsylvania gives most injury claims two years. The deadline that actually ends claims here is a different one: six months to serve written notice before suing any government body — a city, a school district, SEPTA, PennDOT or the Commonwealth itself.
Enter the date of injury below to see which deadlines apply. Nothing is submitted or stored.
- Most injury claims2 yearsFrom the date of injury
- Government notice6 monthsBefore any suit can be filed
- Medical malpractice2 yearsSeven-year outer limit
- Injured childrenUntil 20Two years after turning 18
Every deadline that can apply in Pennsylvania
| Most personal injury claims | Two years from the date of injury. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 |
|---|---|
| Wrongful death | Two years from the date of death. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2) |
| Medical malpractice | Two years from the discovery of the injury. A seven-year statute of repose applies, with an exception for foreign objects left in the body. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 |
| Claim against a city, county or state agency Much shorter than the ordinary deadline | Six months from the date of injury. Written notice within six months is required before suing any government body, even though the lawsuit deadline stays at two years. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522 |
If the injured person is under 18: Tolled until the injured person turns 18, then two years run. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5533
This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines can start earlier or later than the date of injury, and exceptions apply. If any deadline here looks close, speak to a lawyer straight away rather than relying on this page.
Two years, and the notice that comes long before it
Most Pennsylvania personal injury and wrongful death claims must be filed within two years under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524. Wrongful death runs from the date of death rather than the date of injury.
That deadline is rarely the problem. The one that is sits at six months, and only applies when a government body is involved — which is far more often than people expect.
Six months to notify a government defendant
Before suing any Commonwealth or local agency, written notice must be served within six months of the injury under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522. The lawsuit deadline stays at two years, but without that notice there is generally nothing left to bring.
The range of defendants this covers is wide: municipalities, counties, school districts, public universities, SEPTA and the other transit authorities, PennDOT, and any of their employees acting in the course of their duties. A pothole claim, a fall on school property, a collision with a transit bus — all six months.
Damages against these defendants are also capped, and unusually for Pennsylvania those caps survive constitutional scrutiny because they attach to a waiver of immunity rather than to injury claims generally: $500,000 in aggregate against a local agency under § 8553, and $250,000 per person up to $1,000,000 per incident against the Commonwealth under § 8528.
Medical malpractice
Medical negligence claims run two years from when the injury and its cause were discovered or reasonably should have been, with a seven-year statute of repose from the date of the act under the MCARE Act. The repose period does not apply to foreign objects left in the body.
A certificate of merit from a qualified expert must also be filed within 60 days of the complaint, which means the expert work has to begin well before the deadline approaches.
When the clock starts later
Injured children. The deadline is tolled until the injured person turns 18 under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5533(b), after which the two-year period runs — so most claims survive until age 20. Government notice requirements are applied far more strictly and should not be left waiting.
Delayed discovery. Where an injury or its cause could not reasonably have been known, the clock may begin at discovery. Pennsylvania applies this narrowly, and the claimant carries the burden of showing reasonable diligence.
The tort election is not a deadline, but it behaves like one
Pennsylvania’s limited tort election restricts pain and suffering claims permanently rather than for a period. It is worth checking your declarations page early, because if limited tort applies and none of the statutory exceptions do, the shape of the claim changes entirely — and knowing that in month one is considerably better than learning it in month twenty-three.
What actually stops the clock
Filing suit, or serving valid notice on a government defendant. An insurance claim does not stop it. Neither does a claim number, a reserve, or a year of correspondence with an adjuster.
Common questions
How long do I have to sue a city or SEPTA in Pennsylvania?
Written notice within six months of the injury, with the lawsuit still due within two years. Missing the notice period generally ends the claim regardless of its merits.
Is the six-month rule a filing deadline?
No, it is a notice requirement. The suit itself is still governed by the two-year period, but the notice is a precondition to bringing it.
How long do I have for a medical malpractice claim?
Two years from discovering the injury, with a seven-year outer limit from the negligent act. Foreign objects left in the body are excepted from that outer limit.
My child was injured. How long do we have?
Generally until two years after the child turns 18. If a government body was involved, serve the six-month notice straight away rather than relying on tolling.
Related
- Pennsylvania settlement calculator — estimate what a claim may be worth
- Pennsylvania injury claims overview
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