Don’t Miss the Deadline: Arizona’s Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury
If you’ve been injured in Phoenix, the most important thing you can do — besides seeking medical care — is check the calendar.
In Arizona, the statute of limitations sets the deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss this deadline by even one day, you permanently lose your right to recover compensation. While many people believe they have two years, numerous Phoenix injury cases are actually subject to a hidden 180-day rule that catches victims off guard.
The Standard Rule: 2 Years for Private Claims
For most personal injury cases — such as car accidents involving private drivers or slip-and-fall injuries at private businesses — Arizona law (A.R.S. § 12-542) provides two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit.
Typical 2-year statute of limitations cases include:
Car accidents with private drivers
Dog bites involving private owners
Medical malpractice claims
Slip and fall accidents on private property
Missing this two-year deadline almost always results in your case being dismissed, regardless of how serious your injuries are.
The Danger Zone: The 180-Day “Notice of Claim” Rule
This is where many Phoenix residents lose their case before it ever begins.
If your injury involves a public entity or public employee, Arizona law requires you to act much faster. Under A.R.S. § 12-821.01, you must file a formal Notice of Claim within 180 days (roughly six months) of the accident.
Failing to file this notice on time bars your claim entirely — even if the government was clearly at fault.
What Counts as a “Public Entity” in Phoenix?
You may be surprised by how often this rule applies. The 180-day deadline is triggered if your injury involved:
Valley Metro
Accidents involving city buses or the Phoenix light rail
City or Government Vehicles
Phoenix garbage trucks, police vehicles, fire trucks, or city-owned maintenance vans
Public Property
Trip-and-fall injuries on cracked city sidewalks, crosswalks, parks, or inside government buildings such as the Maricopa County Superior Court
Public Employees
Injuries caused by teachers, city inspectors, or state employees while performing their job duties
The One-Year Lawsuit Deadline Against the Government
Even if you properly file your Notice of Claim within 180 days, the timeline remains shorter.
Instead of the usual two years, you have only one year from the date of injury to file a lawsuit against a public entity or government employee.
Are There Any Exceptions?
Arizona law provides a few limited exceptions that may pause (“toll”) these strict deadlines:
The Discovery Rule
If your injury was not immediately apparent — such as in certain medical malpractice cases — the clock may start when the injury is reasonably discovered.
Minors
When the injured person is under 18, the statute of limitations is generally paused until they reach adulthood.
Incapacity
If a person is legally considered of “unsound mind” at the time of injury, the deadline may be paused until competency is restored.
These exceptions are narrow and often contested, which is why early legal review is critical.
Why You Should Act Long Before the Deadline
Even if you believe you have time, waiting until the last minute can seriously damage your case.
Evidence disappears
Traffic camera footage in Phoenix is often overwritten within 7–14 days.
Witnesses move or forget details
People relocate throughout the Valley, and memories fade quickly.
Hidden government involvement
Determining whether a vehicle or property is government-owned takes investigation. Discovering this on day 179 may be too late to file a proper Notice of Claim.
Don’t Let the Clock Run Out
If you were hit by a city vehicle or injured on public property in Phoenix, the clock is already ticking.
At Hartley Law, we move quickly to identify all responsible parties and ensure every deadline and notice is met correctly and on time.
Not sure if your 180-day window is closing?
📞 Call 844-844-1444 or
📝 visit https://hartleylawusa.com/contact-2/ for a free, urgent case review.
There are no fees unless we win, and your information is always secure.