How Long Do You Have to File an Injury Claim in Pennsylvania?

There is a clock on every injury claim, and once it runs out, even a strong case usually can't be brought. Here's how the Pennsylvania deadline works and the exceptions that trip people up.

What is the general deadline?

In Pennsylvania, you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. This is set by the state's statute of limitations. The same two-year window generally applies to wrongful death claims, measured from the date of death.

Why not just wait until close to the deadline?

Because building a case takes time, and evidence decays long before the deadline. Witnesses move and forget; vehicles get repaired or junked; surveillance footage is overwritten in days or weeks; medical treatment needs to be documented as it happens. Two years is the legal outer limit — not the recommended pace. Waiting until month 23 puts an attorney in a difficult spot and can weaken an otherwise solid claim.

Are there exceptions that change the two years?

Yes — several, and some of them shorten the time dramatically:

•     Claims against a government body. If a city, county, the Commonwealth, or a public agency may be responsible, Pennsylvania law usually requires written notice within six months — far shorter than two years. (See our separate page on government and public-property injuries.)

•     Injured minors. For a child, the two-year clock is generally paused until the child turns 18, so the deadline runs from their 18th birthday — though related claims by parents may run sooner.

•     Injuries not discovered right away. In limited situations, the "discovery rule" can delay the start of the clock until you knew, or reasonably should have known, that you were injured and that someone else may be responsible.

•     Medical and product cases. These can involve their own timing wrinkles, including outer-limit "statutes of repose" in some situations.

What's the safest approach?

Treat the deadline as earlier than you think, especially if any government entity might be involved. The cheapest, simplest protection is to have someone confirm your specific deadline early — before evidence is gone and before a short notice window quietly closes. Confirming a date costs nothing; missing it can end a claim entirely.

Talk it through with someone local. If you have questions about your own situation, the attorneys at Joyce, Carmody & Moran can review what happened and explain your options — no cost for the first conversation, and no obligation. We are based in Pittston and handle injury matters throughout Luzerne County.