How Long Do You Have to File a Rideshare Accident Claim? Deadlines by State

How to read the table

• The deadline usually runs from the date of the accident.
• These are the general deadlines for injury claims based on negligence, the kind that covers most car accidents.
• Wrongful death claims often have a different deadline, which can be shorter.
• Minors usually get more time. See the exceptions below.
• Where a state recently changed its law, the date of your accident decides which deadline applies.

Deadlines by state

The states most charts get wrong

Louisiana had a one-year deadline for nearly 200 years. Act 423 of 2024 doubled it to two years, effective July 1, 2024, and only going forward. If your accident happened on June 30, 2024, you had one year. If it happened on July 1, you have two.

Kentucky’s general injury deadline is one year. Car accidents fall under the state’s no-fault law instead, which allows two years from the accident or from the last personal injury protection (PIP) payment, whichever is later. An assault by a driver, as opposed to a traffic accident, may fall under the one-year rule.

Minnesota is often listed at two years. That deadline applies to intentional torts like assault. Ordinary negligence claims, including car accidents, get six years.

Florida cut its deadline from four years to two for claims that arose after March 24, 2023.

Tennessee is the shortest at one year. It gets a second year only if someone is criminally charged over the accident. Courts have held that a municipal traffic citation doesn’t qualify.

Colorado gives three years for motor vehicle accidents but two for most other injuries. A fall at a pickup spot, as opposed to being hit by a car, may get the shorter deadline.

Deadlines that come much sooner

The statute of limitations is the deadline to file a lawsuit. These deadlines arrive first:

• Platform injury coverage. Uber’s opt-in Optional Injury Protection for drivers requires a claim within 20 days of the accident. See Hurt While Driving for Uber or Lyft? Who Pays Your Medical Bills.
• Claims against government vehicles. If a city bus, police car or other government vehicle was involved, most states require a written notice of claim within months, sometimes as little as 60 to 180 days. These rules vary widely, and missing one can end the claim.
• Your own insurance policy. PIP, UM/UIM and medical payments coverage usually require prompt notice, and some policies set their own deadlines for UM/UIM claims. See Hit by an Uninsured or Hit-and-Run Driver in an Uber or Lyft?
• Evidence. Video, app data and dashcam footage can disappear in days. See How to Get Uber and Lyft Trip Records, App Data and Video After an Accident.

Exceptions that can change your deadline

• Minors. Most states pause the deadline for an injured child until they turn 18. The parents’ separate claim for medical bills may not get the same pause. See Teen Uber and Lyft Accounts: What Happens If Your Teen Is Hurt?
• Wrongful death. Usually runs from the date of death, and is often two or three years.
• Sexual assault. Many states give survivors longer deadlines, and some have extended or reopened them. See Uber and Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuits: Where the Cases Stand.
• Discovery rule. In some states, the clock starts when you knew, or should have known, about the injury. That rarely helps in an ordinary accident.
• Defendant out of state. Some states pause the clock while the at-fault person is absent from the state.
• Accidents in another state. Which state’s deadline applies can depend on where the accident happened and where you sue.

Don’t wait for the deadline

A lawsuit filed on the last day is legally on time, but it isn’t a good plan. Insurers treat late treatment and late claims as signs the injury wasn’t serious. Evidence fades, and lawyers need time to investigate. Most rideshare claims settle without a lawsuit. They settle better when the deadline isn’t the other side’s leverage.

FAQs

How long do I have to sue Uber or Lyft after an accident?

It depends on your state, usually two or three years from the date of the accident. Tennessee is one year. Maine, Minnesota and North Dakota are six. Check the table above.

Does the deadline change because it was a rideshare?

Generally, no. Rideshare accidents follow the same injury deadlines as other car accidents. The rideshare company’s own reporting deadlines are much shorter, though.

What if I already talked to the insurance company? Does that stop the clock?

Usually not. Talking to an adjuster, or even negotiating, doesn’t pause the statute of limitations. Only filing a lawsuit, or a written agreement to extend the deadline, protects the claim.

My accident happened in a different state from where I live. Which deadline applies?

Usually the deadline of the state where the accident happened, but not always. This is worth asking a lawyer about early.

What if my child was hurt?

Most states pause the deadline for the child’s own claim until they turn 18. The parents’ claim for medical bills may not get that pause.

Find your state’s rules

Every state page on RideClaim.co covers that state’s rideshare insurance law and has an accident settlement calculator. Start from the state index.

Sources and limits

Deadlines are described as of the date above. The Louisiana, Kentucky, Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, Tennessee and Florida entries were checked against the statutes, legislative records or court decisions listed below. The other entries reflect each state’s general negligence statute. Deadlines depend on the facts, the type of claim and the date of the accident. Confirm yours with a lawyer licensed in your state.

• La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423)
• HB 315 (2024) digest — prospective application
• Kentucky — Milby v. Wright, KRS 304.39-230(6)
• Wyoming — Ryel v. Anderies (Wyo. 2000), § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)
• Colorado Court of Appeals — 24CA1639 (2025), § 13-80-101(1)(n)
• Minn. Stat. § 541.05
• Tennessee Court of Appeals — Peterson v. Carey
• Florida HB 837 (2023) — Cozen O’Connor summary

This is general information, not legal advice, and RideClaim.co is not a law firm.