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Do I need a slip and fall lawyer, and how much does one take?
STATEState law: each state sets what a premises claim must prove, the deadline to sue and the notice a government needs first. This page reads the jury instructions of California, Connecticut and Michigan, Florida's spill statute, the notice rules of 19 states and the federal claim rule, the fee limits a law or court rule sets, and the deadline to sue in 49 states and D.C.Checked by the Justice legal team against official sources · Last reviewed 8 free tools on this page
Short answer
Not always. A lawyer matters most if you were badly hurt or the owner denies the fall. You must prove the owner knew or should have known of the hazard and failed to fix it or warn. Most lawyers take a percentage of what you recover, agreed in writing; a few laws cap it, as Michigan does at one-third.
Quick guide
Do you have a premises claim? Where the law starts
1. Where did you fall?
What made you fall?
Do you know how long it was there, or that it happens often?
It points to the part of this page that fits, in the page's own words. Nothing you choose is saved or sent. Not legal advice.
Key points
- What you prove
- The owner knew or should have known of the hazard and failed to repair it, protect against it or warn (CACI No. 1003). Juries weigh how long it was there and whether anyone inspected.
- The fee
- Usually a percentage of what you recover, agreed in writing. Some laws cap it: 20% of a federal agency settlement and 25% after a lawsuit against the United States, one-third in Michigan injury cases.
- Deadline
- Most states give 2 or 3 years to sue. A fall on public property often needs a written notice first: within 90 days in New York, Kentucky and New Mexico, 6 months in California, Texas and Pennsylvania.
- Official data
- In 2005 state court trials, plaintiffs won 38.4% of premises liability trials, and the median award to those who won was $98,000 (Bureau of Justice Statistics). No official source publishes average settlements.
A slip and fall lawyer, also called a premises liability lawyer, represents a person hurt by a dangerous condition on someone else's property: a wet floor, a broken step, ice, a torn mat. This page gives what the claim must prove, read from official jury instructions; what a lawyer may take where a law or court rule sets a limit; the deadline to sue in 49 states and D.C.; the notice a government needs first; a letter asking the owner to keep the video; and the official place to check a lawyer's license.
This page is part of slip and fall law, which covers the evidence to keep in the first 24 hours and shared fault; fees for every injury case are on personal injury lawyer. Nothing here ranks or recommends a lawyer or a firm.
What a slip and fall lawyer does, and when you need one
A slip and fall lawyer brings a premises liability claim: a claim against whoever owns, leases, occupies or controls a property, for harm caused by the way the property was kept (CACI No. 1000). A premises injury is an injury caused by a condition of a property: a spill, a broken stair, poor lighting, ice that was never cleared. A fall alone is not enough; the claim turns on what the owner knew and did.
- Most work for a share of what you recover. A contingency fee: a percentage of the money you receive if you win or settle, agreed in writing. A few laws set the most a lawyer may take; see what a lawyer may take.
- A lawyer can act before the evidence is gone. A spill is mopped and camera video is often recorded over. A lawyer can ask the owner in writing to keep the video, the incident report and the cleaning logs, and so can you, with the letter on this page.
- When a lawyer matters most. A serious injury, or one still being treated; an owner or insurer who denies the fall or blames you; a fall on public property, where a notice is due within months; a deadline that is near; or an offer you are asked to sign.
- When you may handle it yourself. A small claim for a few medical bills may fit small claims court. A fall at work is usually a workers' compensation claim, not a lawsuit against your employer.
Tip. This page states rules, not chances. No official source publishes a success rate or an average settlement for slip and fall cases. What the law does set is what you must prove, the deadline, the notice a government needs, and, in a few places, how much a lawyer may take.
How much does a slip and fall lawyer take?
No state publishes a price for a slip and fall lawyer, and no official source gives an average percentage. Most take the case on a contingency fee, a percentage of what you recover. Under the ABA model rule, that agreement must be in writing, signed by the client, and say how the fee is figured, including the percentage, and which expenses come out of the recovery (ABA Model Rule 1.5(c)). The State Bar of California says the percentage is negotiable between you and the lawyer, and the agreement should say whether it is figured before or after costs.
- Before or after costs changes what you get. On a $100,000 settlement with $10,000 of costs and a one-third fee: figured before costs, the fee is $33,333.33 and you get $56,666.67; figured after costs, the fee is $30,000 and you get $60,000.
- In writing, and signed. In Texas a contingent fee contract for legal services must be in writing and signed by the lawyer and the client.Tex. Gov't Code § 82.065(a)
- Texas: no unsolicited contact for 30 days. A lawyer, chiropractor, physician or private investigator may not send you unsolicited communications about an accident, to get your business, before the 31st day after it.Tex. Penal Code § 38.12(d)
Where a law or court rule sets the most a lawyer may take in a fall case. Each rule was read on November 2, 2026; the examples are the most the rule allows on each sum, worked out for this page:
| Where | Cases | The most the lawyer may take | On $50,000 / $100,000 / $500,000 | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claims against the United States (FTCA) | A fall at a post office, a federal building, a national park or other federal property | 20% of an agency settlement; 25% of a judgment or of a settlement after a lawsuit | 20%: $10,000 / $20,000 / $100,000; 25%: $12,500 / $25,000 / $125,000 | 28 U.S.C. § 2678 |
| Florida | A claim against the state, its agencies or subdivisions | 25% of any judgment or settlement | $12,500 / $25,000 / at most $50,000, since recovery is limited to $200,000 per person | Fla. Stat. §§ 768.28(8), 768.28(5)(a) |
| Michigan | Personal injury and wrongful death | At most one-third of the amount recovered, computed after deducting the case costs | $16,666.67 / $33,333.33 / $166,666.67 | MCR 8.121(B), (C)(1) |
| Connecticut | Personal injury, wrongful death and property damage | 33⅓% of the first $300,000; 25% of the next $300,000; 20% of the next $300,000; 15% of the next $300,000; 10% above $1,200,000 | $16,666.67 / $33,333.33 / $150,000 | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-251c(b) |
| Oklahoma | Any contingent fee | At most 50% of the net amount recovered | $25,000 / $50,000 / $250,000 | Okla. Stat. tit. 5, § 7 |
Watch out. The amounts are the most each rule allows on the sum as recovered, before costs, for comparison; Michigan and Oklahoma figure the fee on the net amount, after costs. Not checked for this page: the Florida Bar's contingency fee schedule for injury cases, New Jersey's court rule on contingent fees, and New York's court schedules for injury cases; their official sites refused this machine. Most states set no percentage, and the fee is what you agree in writing.
Is the first meeting free? Many firms advertise a free consultation. Bar-run referral services connect you with a lawyer for your kind of problem. The ones this guide has checked publish a first-consultation price: the State Bar of Texas service up to $20 for up to 30 minutes, The Florida Bar service up to $25 for 30 minutes, and the New York State Bar Association service normally $35 for the first half hour; California certifies its referral services, which you search by county. See Find a lawyer or free legal aid for the details.
Calculator
The most a lawyer may take, where a law sets it
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Uses only the numbers on this page, each from its official source. Nothing you type leaves your device. Not legal advice.
Do you have a case? What a premises claim must prove
A fall is not enough on its own. California's jury instructions list four things the injured person must prove (CACI No. 1000):
- Control. The defendant owned, leased, occupied or controlled the property.
- Negligence. The defendant was negligent in the use or maintenance of the property.
- Harm. You were harmed.
- Cause. The defendant's negligence was a substantial factor in causing your harm.
These are the four proofs of negligence in property form. The notes to the same instruction quote the Supreme Court of California: the elements of a negligence claim and a premises liability claim are the same, a legal duty of care, a breach of that duty, and a cause resulting in injury (CACI No. 1000, citing Kesner v. Superior Court, 2016).
Negligence on a property usually turns on notice. The owner was negligent if a condition created an unreasonable risk of harm, the owner knew or, using reasonable care, should have known about it, and failed to repair it, protect against it or warn (CACI No. 1003). The other official texts read for this page say it in their own words:
| State | What you must show about the hazard | How "should have known" is decided | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | The owner knew, or with reasonable care should have known, of a condition that created an unreasonable risk, and failed to repair it, protect against it or warn. If the owner or an employee created the condition, the jury must conclude the owner knew of it. | Whether it existed long enough to be found and dealt with. The owner must make reasonable inspections; no inspection within a reasonable time before the accident may show it was there long enough. | CACI Nos. 1003, 1011, 1012 |
| Connecticut | For a customer or other invitee: reasonable care to inspect and maintain the premises and make them reasonably safe, and a warning of defects the visitor could not reasonably be expected to discover. A condition the owner or an employee created is actual notice. | Whether the owner inspected on a reasonable basis, and how long the condition existed. In a self-service store, the mode of operation rule can replace proof of notice of the particular item. | Connecticut Civil Jury Instructions 3.9-4, 3.9-12, 3.9-13, 3.9-17 |
| Michigan | For an invitee: reasonable care to protect from an unreasonable risk of harm from a dangerous condition the owner knew of, or should have known of with ordinary care. | The character of the condition, and whether it existed long enough that an owner using ordinary care would discover it. | M Civ JI 19.03 |
| Florida | A fall on a transitory foreign substance in a business: the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition and should have taken action to remedy it. | The condition existed so long that the business should have known of it, or it occurred with regularity and was therefore foreseeable. | Fla. Stat. § 768.0755(1) |
| Texas (government property) | A government owes a person hurt by a premise defect only the duty a private person owes a licensee, unless the person paid to use the premises. | Not checked for this page | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.022(a) |
- An obvious hazard. If a condition is so obvious that a person could reasonably be expected to see it, the owner does not have to warn of it, but must still use reasonable care to protect people who have to cross it out of necessity.CACI No. 1004
- A self-service store in Connecticut. Under the mode of operation rule, you need not show the store knew of the particular item; you prove its way of operating gave rise to a foreseeable risk of injury to customers, it failed to use reasonable care against it, and that failure caused your injury.Connecticut Civil Jury Instructions 3.9-17
- A landlord must inspect. Reasonable periodic inspections when the landlord has the right of possession, and before giving a tenant possession; the inspection must include common areas under the landlord's control.CACI No. 1006
- The sidewalk outside. An owner, occupier or controller of property must avoid creating an unsafe condition on the surrounding public streets or sidewalks. New York City makes owners responsible for the sidewalk next to their property; see public property.CACI No. 1007
- Recreation in California. An owner is not responsible for harm from entering or using its property for a recreational purpose, unless it willfully or maliciously failed to warn, a fee was paid to enter, or it expressly invited you.CACI No. 1010 (Civ. Code § 846)
- A government's property in California. A separate instruction applies: the property was in a dangerous condition, and an employee created it or the government had notice long enough to protect against it.CACI No. 1100 (Gov. Code § 835)
Watch out. Not checked for this page: New Jersey's model jury charges, Florida's standard jury instructions, and the jury instructions of the other states. Their official sites refused this machine, or they publish no free official text. Ask a lawyer how your state words the rule.
Invitee, licensee or trespasser: why your reason for being there matters
Why you were on the property can change what the owner owed you. Michigan and Connecticut ask the jury to decide first whether you were an invitee, a licensee or a trespasser. California uses one duty of reasonable care for everyone, and counts how likely it was that someone would come onto the property the way you did as one factor (CACI No. 1001).
| You were | Who that is | What the owner owed you | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| An invitee | A customer or other business visitor: invited for a commercial benefit to the owner or for business dealings with it (Michigan), or for the owner's benefit or both sides' (Connecticut) | Reasonable care to inspect and keep the premises reasonably safe, and to warn of dangers you could not reasonably discover | M Civ JI 19.01, 19.03 · Connecticut Civil Jury Instructions 3.9-4 |
| A licensee | A person there with permission for a purpose that is not business. In Michigan a social guest is a licensee; in Connecticut a social invitee is owed the same care as a business invitee (General Statutes § 52-557a) | A warning of a danger the owner knew or should have known of and expected you not to discover, when you did not know of it | M Civ JI 19.01, 19.06 · Connecticut Civil Jury Instructions 3.9-3, 3.9-4 |
| A trespasser | A person on the property without an invitation or a privilege | In general, only not to injure you by willful, wanton or reckless conduct; more where the owner knew of you or of trespassers in that spot | M Civ JI 19.07 · Connecticut Civil Jury Instructions 3.9-2 |
Tip. Texas, on government property: the government owes only the duty owed to a licensee, unless you paid to use the premises (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.022(a)). See public property.
Ask the owner to keep the video and the incident report
The proof of how long a hazard was there is usually in the hands of the owner: its camera video, its sweep and inspection logs, and its incident report. That is the question juries are asked: whether the condition existed long enough to be found, and whether the owner inspected (CACI No. 1011; Connecticut Civil Jury Instructions 3.9-13; M Civ JI 19.03). In Florida you may show a spill was there long enough, or that the condition occurred with regularity (Fla. Stat. § 768.0755(1)(a), (b)).
Ask the owner, in writing and soon, to keep them. If a party intentionally concealed or destroyed evidence, a California jury may decide that the evidence would have been unfavorable to that party (CACI No. 204). The letter below asks for:
- All video of the spot where you fell and the way you came in, in its original form.
- The incident report and any written or recorded statement about the fall.
- Inspection, sweep, cleaning and floor-care logs for that area that day, and any record of the same hazard there before.
- The names of the employees on duty in that area, and any photos the staff took.
- Any object, mat, sign or cone involved, and any record of when a warning sign was put out.
Watch out. No official rule read for this page tells a store how long to keep its video. Send the letter as soon as you can, keep a copy and proof of the day you sent it, and give a copy to your lawyer. The letter asks for a written answer within 10 days; that is a request, not a deadline set by law.
Letter generator · 2 recipients
Ask the owner to keep the video and the incident report
Built from CACI Nos. 1006 and 1011, Connecticut Civil Jury Instructions 3.9-13 and Fla. Stat. § 768.0755(1) · checked Nov 2, 2026
Each rule comes from the official source linked in the result. It runs on your device: nothing you type is stored or sent. General information, not legal advice.
How long do you have to sue after a fall? The deadline in every state
The deadline to sue for an injury caused by negligence is set by each state, and usually runs from the day of the fall. The calculator uses the same checked data as this guide's personal injury lawyer page, read from each state's statute or its courts by November 1, 2026: 2 years in many states, 3 years in others such as New York and Maryland, 1 year in Kentucky and Tennessee, and 6 years in Maine, Minnesota and North Dakota. For Colorado (2 years) and Kentucky (1 year) it uses their rule for an injury that is not from a motor-vehicle crash.
Watch out. Wisconsin was not checked for this page; its code site refused this machine. A fall on public property usually needs a notice first, often within months: see public property. A minor's claim or an injury found later can follow other rules. Don't wait for the last day.
Date calculator · 50 states
Your deadline to sue after a fall
The same checked data as the personal injury lawyer page: each state's deadline read from its statute or its courts by November 1, 2026 · checked Nov 1, 2026
Each rule comes from the official source linked in the result. It runs on your device: nothing you type is stored or sent. General information, not legal advice.
Fell on public property? The notice deadline comes first
Before you can sue a government for a fall, you must usually give it a written notice or claim, and that deadline is far shorter than the deadline to sue. Each rule below was read from the statute or the state courts' guide on November 2, 2026, except New York's, checked for this guide on November 1, 2026.
| Government | Who it covers | First step | Then | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The United States | A post office, federal building, national park or other federal property | A written claim to the federal agency, usually on Standard Form 95, within 2 years | Sue within 6 months after the agency mails a final denial; if it does not decide within 6 months, you may treat the claim as denied | 28 U.S.C. §§ 2401(b), 2675(a) |
| Arizona | A public entity, public school or public employee | A notice of claim within 180 days after the cause of action accrues, with the facts and a specific amount for which it can be settled | Sue within 1 year after the cause of action accrues | A.R.S. §§ 12-821.01(A), 12-821 |
| California | A state or local agency | A claim to the agency within 6 months from the injury, the state courts' guide says | The agency has 45 days to answer. After a rejection, sue within 6 months from the day it was mailed; with no answer, generally up to 2 years from the injury | Cal. Gov't Code §§ 905, 911.2 (California Courts self-help guide) |
| Connecticut | A town, city or borough, for a defective road or bridge it must keep in repair | Written notice of the injury, its cause, and the time and place, within 90 days | Sue within 2 years from the injury | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 13a-149 |
| Florida | The state, its agencies or subdivisions | A written claim to the agency within 3 years after the claim accrues; for a state agency, also to the Department of Financial Services | Recovery is limited to $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident; a lawyer may take at most 25% | Fla. Stat. § 768.28(5)(a), (6)(a), (8) |
| Iowa (a city or other municipality) | A municipality | No separate notice in the statute read | Sue within 2 years after the injury | Iowa Code § 670.5 |
| Iowa (the State) | The State of Iowa | A written claim to the director of the department of management within 2 years after the claim accrued | The time to sue is extended 6 months from the mailing of the attorney general's notice of the final decision on the claim | Iowa Code § 669.13(1) |
| Kentucky | A city, for a defect in a bridge, street, sidewalk, alley or other public thoroughfare | Notice to the mayor, city clerk or clerk of the board of aldermen within 90 days, with the time, place and character of the injury | The section sets the notice only; the deadline to sue is in the state table | KRS 411.110 |
| Maine | The State or a political subdivision | A written notice of claim within 365 days after the claim accrues | A later notice is allowed only for good cause | 14 M.R.S. § 8107(1) |
| Maryland (a local government) | A county, city or other local government | Written notice of the time, place and cause of the injury within 1 year after the injury | The section sets the notice only; the deadline to sue is in the state table | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-304(b) |
| Maryland (the State) | The State of Maryland | A written claim to the State Treasurer within 1 year after the injury | After a final denial, sue within 3 years after the cause of action arises | Md. Code, State Gov't § 12-106(b) |
| Minnesota (a city or other municipality) | A municipality | Notice to the governing body within 180 days after the injury is discovered, with the time, place and circumstances | The section sets the notice only; the deadline to sue is in the state table | Minn. Stat. § 466.05, subd. 1 |
| Minnesota (the State) | The State of Minnesota | Notice to the attorney general within 180 days after the injury is discovered | The section sets the notice only; the deadline to sue is in the state table | Minn. Stat. § 3.736, subd. 5 |
| New Mexico | The state or a local public body | A written notice of the time, place and circumstances within 90 days after the occurrence, unless the government had actual notice | Sue within 2 years after the occurrence | NMSA §§ 41-4-16(A), 41-4-15(A) |
| New York | A public corporation, such as a city or county | A notice of claim within 90 days after the claim arises | The deadline to sue a public corporation was not read for this page | N.Y. Gen. Mun. Law § 50-e(1)(a) |
| North Dakota (the State) | The State of North Dakota | A written notice to the director of the office of management and budget within 180 days after the injury is discovered or reasonably should have been | The section sets the notice only; the deadline to sue is in the state table | N.D. Cent. Code § 32-12.2-04(1)(a) |
| North Dakota (a city, county or other political subdivision) | A political subdivision | No notice section in the chapter read | Sue within 3 years after the claim accrues | N.D. Cent. Code § 32-12.1-10(1) |
| Pennsylvania | A government unit | A written notice within 6 months from the injury | The section sets the notice only; the deadline to sue is in the state table | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522(a)(1) |
| South Carolina | The State or a political subdivision | A verified claim is optional; if filed, it must be received within 1 year | Sue within 2 years after the loss was or should have been discovered, or within 3 years if you first filed a claim | S.C. Code §§ 15-78-80(d), 15-78-110 |
| South Dakota | A public entity | Written notice of the time, place and cause of the injury within 180 days after the injury | The section sets the notice only; the deadline to sue is in the state table | SDCL § 3-21-2 |
| Texas | A governmental unit | Notice within 6 months after the incident, describing the injury, the time and place, and the incident | A city's charter may set its own notice period; no notice is needed if the government already had actual notice of the injury | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101(a), (b), (c) |
| Utah | A governmental entity or its employee | A notice of claim within 1 year after the claim arises; the entity must answer in writing within 60 days | Sue within 2 years after the claim arises | Utah Code §§ 63G-7-402, 63G-7-403(2)(b) |
| Virginia (a county, city or town) | A county, city or town | A written statement of the claim, with the time and place of the injury, within 6 months | A claim is not barred if the attorney, chief executive or mayor of the locality, or its insurer, had actual knowledge of it, with the time and place | Va. Code § 15.2-209(A) |
| Virginia (the Commonwealth) | The Commonwealth or a transportation district | A written statement of the claim within 1 year | A claim is not barred if the Division of Risk Management, an insurer or the Attorney General had actual knowledge of it in time | Va. Code § 8.01-195.6(A) |
| Wyoming | A governmental entity | An itemized written claim within 2 years of the act or omission | Sue within 1 year after the day the claim is filed | Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-39-113(a), 1-39-114 |
Watch out. Every other state was not checked for this page, including Illinois and Wisconsin, whose code sites refused this machine. A city's own charter can set a shorter period (Texas ratifies them, § 101.101(b)). Ask the city clerk or the agency which form to use, and keep proof of the day you delivered it.
Date calculator · 25 governments
Fell on public property? Your notice deadline
Each notice rule read from the statute or the state courts' guide on November 2, 2026 (New York: November 1) · checked Nov 2, 2026
Each rule comes from the official source linked in the result. It runs on your device: nothing you type is stored or sent. General information, not legal advice.
What is a slip and fall case worth? What the damages are made of
No official source publishes an average slip and fall settlement. Online averages are estimates. What a jury may award is set by its instructions: the reasonable cost of reasonably necessary medical care, past and future (CACI No. 3903A); lost earnings, past and future (CACI No. 3903C); and physical pain, mental suffering and emotional distress, for which no fixed standard exists (CACI No. 3905A). You need not prove the exact amount, but a jury must not speculate or guess (CACI No. 3900). In most states your own share of the fault reduces the award (CACI No. 405; the rule in your state).
What official data says about trials. The Bureau of Justice Statistics studied civil trials in state courts in 2005: of 1,827 premises liability trials, plaintiffs won 38.4%, against 64.3% in motor vehicle trials, and the median final award to the 666 premises plaintiffs who won was $98,000. Premises liability cases were among the tort claims most likely to be tried by a jury (94%). These are trials from 2005, not settlements: in the courts that reported both, trials were about 3% of the tort, contract and real property cases closed.
- Is an offer good? No official rule says what a good offer is. Ask the insurer to explain any offer in writing, compare it with your medical bills, lost pay and the treatment you still need, and get legal advice before you sign a release.
- Hard to win? The proof of notice is the hard part: what the owner knew, and how long the hazard was there. That is why the video and the logs matter.
Deadline to sue, notice to a government and shared fault, state by state
The general deadline to sue and the shared-fault rule are this guide's checked data from the personal injury lawyer page (November 1, 2026); the notice to a government was read for this page on November 2, 2026 (New York: November 1). A notice cell shows the rule for the governments read; the public property table has every detail.
| State | Deadline to sue | Notice to a government | Your own share of the fault | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2 years from the date of injury | Not checked for this page | Any fault can bar: any negligence of yours can bar the claim | Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l) · Alabama common law; Serio v. Merrell, Inc., 941 So. 2d 960, 964 (Ala. 2006) |
| Alaska | 2 years after the claim accrues | Not checked for this page | Pure: your share reduces the award; it never bars it | AS 09.10.070(a) · AS 09.17.060 |
| Arizona | 2 years after the injury | Notice within 180 days; sue within 1 year | Pure: your share reduces the award; it never bars it | A.R.S. § 12-542(1) · A.R.S. § 12-2505(A) · A.R.S. §§ 12-821.01(A), 12-821 |
| Arkansas | 3 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105 · Ark. Code Ann. § 16-64-122(b) |
| California | 2 years after the injury | Claim within 6 months; after a rejection, sue within 6 months | Pure: your share reduces the award; it never bars it | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1 · CACI No. 405 · Cal. Gov't Code §§ 905, 911.2 (California Courts self-help guide) |
| Colorado | 2 years; 3 years for an injury from a motor-vehicle crash (§ 13-80-101(1)(n)(I)) | Not checked for this page | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more | C.R.S. § 13-80-102(1)(a); § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I) · C.R.S. § 13-21-111(1); Mountain Mobile Mix, Inc. v. Gifford, 660 P.2d 883 (Colo. 1983) |
| Connecticut | 2 years from the injury or its discovery, and no more than 3 years after the act | A defective town road or bridge: notice within 90 days; sue within 2 years | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584 · Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-572h(b) · Conn. Gen. Stat. § 13a-149 |
| Delaware | 2 years from the date the injuries were sustained | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | 10 Del. C. § 8119 · 10 Del. C. § 8132 |
| District of Columbia | 3 years from the time the right to maintain the action accrues | Not checked for this page | Any fault can bar: any negligence of yours can bar the claim. A court rule, with an exception for pedestrians and cyclists hit by a motor vehicle. | D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(8) · D.C. common law (Washington Metro. Area Transit Auth. v. Young, 731 A.2d 389, 394 (D.C. 1999)); D.C. Code § 50-2204.52 |
| Florida | 2 years, for negligence after March 24, 2023 (4 years before) | Written claim within 3 years | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) · Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6) · Fla. Stat. § 768.28(5)(a), (6)(a), (8) |
| Georgia | 2 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more | O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 · O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33(a), (g) |
| Hawaii | 2 years after the cause of action accrued | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | HRS § 657-7 · HRS § 663-31(a) |
| Idaho | 2 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more (as described by the Supreme Court of Maryland in 2013; the statute itself was not read) | Idaho Code § 5-219(4) · Idaho Code § 6-801 |
| Illinois | 2 years after the cause of action accrued | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | 735 ILCS 5/13-202 · 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 |
| Indiana | 2 years from the injury | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4 · Ind. Code §§ 34-51-2-5, 34-51-2-6 |
| Iowa | 2 years after the claim accrues | The State: claim within 2 years; a city or county: sue within 2 years | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Iowa Code § 614.1(2) · Iowa Code § 668.3(1)(a) · Iowa Code §§ 669.13(1), 670.5 |
| Kansas | 2 years from when the act first causes substantial injury, or when the injury becomes reasonably ascertainable | Not checked for this page | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more | K.S.A. 60-513(a)(4), (b) · K.S.A. 60-258a(a) |
| Kentucky | 1 year; 2 years after a motor-vehicle crash (KRS 304.39-230(6)) | A city street or sidewalk: notice within 90 days | Pure: your share reduces the award; it never bars it | KRS 413.140(1)(a); KRS 304.39-230(6) · KRS 411.182(1)(b), (3) · KRS 411.110 |
| Louisiana | 2 years, for injuries from July 1, 2024 (1 year before; Acts 2024, No. 423) | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50%. Since January 1, 2026 (Acts 2025, No. 15); before that, pure comparative fault. | La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423) · La. Civ. Code art. 2323(A)(2) (Acts 2025, No. 15) |
| Maine | 6 years after the cause of action accrues | Notice within 365 days | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more | 14 M.R.S. § 752 · 14 M.R.S. § 156 · 14 M.R.S. § 8107(1) |
| Maryland | 3 years after the injury | A local government: notice within 1 year; the State: claim within 1 year | Any fault can bar: any negligence of yours can bar the claim | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101 · Maryland common law; Coleman v. Soccer Ass'n of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013); Harrison v. Montgomery County Bd. of Educ., 295 Md. 442 (1983) · Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-304(b); State Gov't § 12-106(b) |
| Massachusetts | 3 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 231, § 85 |
| Michigan | 3 years after the time of the death or injury; the claim accrues when the wrong was done | Not checked for this page | Hybrid: economic damages are reduced by your share; above 50% you lose the non-economic damages. After a crash, pain and suffering also needs a serious impairment, and an uninsured driver of their own car gets nothing. | MCL 600.5805(2) · Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2959 |
| Minnesota | 6 years after the injury | Notice within 180 days after the injury is discovered | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(5) · Minn. Stat. § 604.01, subd. 1 · Minn. Stat. §§ 466.05, subd. 1, 3.736, subd. 5 |
| Mississippi | 3 years after the cause of action accrued; latent injuries accrue on discovery | Not checked for this page | Pure: your share reduces the award; it never bars it | Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49(1) · Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-15 |
| Missouri | 5 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Pure: your share reduces the award; it never bars it | RSMo § 516.120(4) · Gustafson v. Benda, 661 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. banc 1983) (court-made rule) |
| Montana | 3 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(1) · Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-702 |
| Nebraska | 4 years after the claim accrues | Not checked for this page | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-207 · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-21,185.09 |
| Nevada | 2 years from the injury | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | NRS 11.190(4)(e) · NRS 41.141(1) |
| New Hampshire | 3 years from the act or omission, or from when the injury and its cause were (or should have been) discovered | Not checked for this page | Not checked for this page | RSA 508:4(I) |
| New Jersey | 2 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a) · N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1 |
| New Mexico | 3 years after the injury | Notice within 90 days; sue within 2 years | Pure: your share reduces the award; it never bars it | NMSA 1978, § 37-1-8 · Scott v. Rizzo, 1981-NMSC-021, 96 N.M. 682, 634 P.2d 1234 (court-made rule) · NMSA §§ 41-4-16(A), 41-4-15(A) |
| New York | 3 years after the injury | Notice of claim within 90 days | Pure: your share reduces the award; it never bars it. In a crash injury case under the no-fault law started on or after May 26, 2026, you recover nothing if your fault is greater than the other side's (CPLR 1411(b)). | N.Y. CPLR 214(5) · CPLR 1411(a), (b) · N.Y. Gen. Mun. Law § 50-e(1)(a) |
| North Carolina | 3 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Any fault can bar: any negligence of yours can bar the claim | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(16) · N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-139 |
| North Dakota | 6 years after the claim for relief has accrued | The State: notice within 180 days after discovery; a city or county: sue within 3 years | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more | N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(5) · N.D.C.C. § 32-03.2-02 · N.D. Cent. Code §§ 32-12.2-04(1)(a), 32-12.1-10(1) |
| Ohio | 2 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10(A) · Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33 |
| Oklahoma | 2 years after the cause of action shall have accrued | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | 12 O.S. § 95(A)(3) · 23 O.S. §§ 13, 14 |
| Oregon | 2 years from the date of injury | Not checked for this page | Not checked for this page | ORS 12.110(1) |
| Pennsylvania | 2 years after the injury | Notice within 6 months | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2) · 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102(a) · 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522(a)(1) |
| Rhode Island | 3 years from the date of the injury | Not checked for this page | Not checked for this page | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(b) |
| South Carolina | 3 years after the injury | A claim is optional (within 1 year if filed); sue within 2 years | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | S.C. Code § 15-3-530(5) · Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 303 S.C. 243, 399 S.E.2d 783 (1991) (court-made rule) · S.C. Code §§ 15-78-80(d), 15-78-110 |
| South Dakota | 3 years after the cause of action shall have accrued | Notice within 180 days | Slight-gross rule: you recover, reduced, only if your negligence was slight compared with the other side's | SDCL § 15-2-14(3) · SDCL § 20-9-2 · SDCL § 3-21-2 |
| Tennessee | 1 year after the cause of action accrued | Not checked for this page | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A) · McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52, 57 (Tenn. 1992) (court-made rule) |
| Texas | 2 years after the injury | Notice within 6 months (a city charter may set its own period) | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003 · Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§ 33.001, 33.012(a) · Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101(a), (b), (c) |
| Utah | 4 years after the injury | Notice of claim within 1 year; sue within 2 years | Barred at 50% or more: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing at 50% or more | Utah Code § 78B-2-307(4) (numbered (3) before the 2023 amendment) · Utah Code § 78B-5-818(2) · Utah Code §§ 63G-7-402, 63G-7-403(2)(b) |
| Vermont | 3 years after the cause of action accrues, which for injuries is the date the injury is discovered | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | 12 V.S.A. § 512(4) · 12 V.S.A. § 1036(a) |
| Virginia | 2 years after the injury | A county, city or town: notice within 6 months; the Commonwealth: within 1 year | Any fault can bar: any negligence of yours can bar the claim | Va. Code § 8.01-243(A) · Virginia common law; Ponirakis v. Choi, 262 Va. 119, 546 S.E.2d 707 (2001) · Va. Code §§ 15.2-209(A), 8.01-195.6(A) |
| Washington | 3 years after the injury | Not checked for this page | Pure: your share reduces the award; it never bars it | RCW 4.16.080(2) · RCW 4.22.005 |
| West Virginia | 2 years after the right to bring the action accrued | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | W. Va. Code § 55-2-12(b) · W. Va. Code § 55-7-13c(c) (enacted by 2015 H.B. 2002) |
| Wisconsin | Not checked for this page | Not checked for this page | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% (as described by the Supreme Court of Maryland in 2013; the statute itself was not read) | Wis. Stat. § 895.045(1) |
| Wyoming | 4 years after the cause of action accrues | Written claim within 2 years; sue within 1 year after filing it | Barred above 50%: your share reduces the award; you recover nothing if it is more than 50% | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C) · Wyo. Stat. § 1-1-109(b) · Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-39-113(a), 1-39-114 |
State map · 50 of 51 with a value
Your state's deadline to sue, notice to a government and shared-fault rule
Show
- Under 2 years2
- 2 years25
- 3 years16
- 4 years to 5 years4
- 6 years or more3
- Not checked1
See the table 51 rows
| State | Deadline to sue | Notice to a government | Your own share of the fault | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2 years | Not checked | Any fault can bar | Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l); Alabama common law; Serio v. Merrell, Inc., 941 So. 2d 960, 964 (Ala. 2006) |
| Alaska | 2 years | Not checked | Pure | AS 09.10.070(a); AS 09.17.060 |
| Arizona | 2 years | 6 months or 180 days | Pure | A.R.S. § 12-542(1); A.R.S. §§ 12-821.01(A), 12-821; A.R.S. § 12-2505(A) |
| Arkansas | 3 years | Not checked | Barred at 50% or more | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105; Ark. Code Ann. § 16-64-122(b) |
| California | 2 years | 6 months or 180 days | Pure | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1; Cal. Gov't Code §§ 905, 911.2 (California Courts self-help guide); CACI No. 405 |
| Colorado | 2 years | Not checked | Barred at 50% or more | C.R.S. § 13-80-102(1)(a); § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I); C.R.S. § 13-21-111(1); Mountain Mobile Mix, Inc. v. Gifford, 660 P.2d 883 (Colo. 1983) |
| Connecticut | 2 years | 90 days | Barred above 50% | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584; Conn. Gen. Stat. § 13a-149; Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-572h(b) |
| Delaware | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | 10 Del. C. § 8119; 10 Del. C. § 8132 |
| District of Columbia | 3 years | Not checked | Any fault can bar | D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(8); D.C. common law (Washington Metro. Area Transit Auth. v. Young, 731 A.2d 389, 394 (D.C. 1999)); D.C. Code § 50-2204.52 |
| Florida | 2 years | 2 years or more | Barred above 50% | Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a); Fla. Stat. § 768.28(5)(a), (6)(a), (8); Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6) |
| Georgia | 2 years | Not checked | Barred at 50% or more | O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33; O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33(a), (g) |
| Hawaii | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | HRS § 657-7; HRS § 663-31(a) |
| Idaho | 2 years | Not checked | Barred at 50% or more | Idaho Code § 5-219(4); Idaho Code § 6-801 |
| Illinois | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | 735 ILCS 5/13-202; 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 |
| Indiana | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4; Ind. Code §§ 34-51-2-5, 34-51-2-6 |
| Iowa | 2 years | 2 years or more | Barred above 50% | Iowa Code § 614.1(2); Iowa Code §§ 669.13(1), 670.5; Iowa Code § 668.3(1)(a) |
| Kansas | 2 years | Not checked | Barred at 50% or more | K.S.A. 60-513(a)(4), (b); K.S.A. 60-258a(a) |
| Kentucky | 1 year | 90 days | Pure | KRS 413.140(1)(a); KRS 304.39-230(6); KRS 411.110; KRS 411.182(1)(b), (3) |
| Louisiana | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423); La. Civ. Code art. 2323(A)(2) (Acts 2025, No. 15) |
| Maine | 6 years | 1 year | Barred at 50% or more | 14 M.R.S. § 752; 14 M.R.S. § 8107(1); 14 M.R.S. § 156 |
| Maryland | 3 years | 1 year | Any fault can bar | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101; Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-304(b); State Gov't § 12-106(b); Maryland common law; Coleman v. Soccer Ass'n of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013); Harrison v. Montgomery County Bd. of Educ., 295 Md. 442 (1983) |
| Massachusetts | 3 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A; Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 231, § 85 |
| Michigan | 3 years | Not checked | Other rule | MCL 600.5805(2); Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2959 |
| Minnesota | 6 years | 6 months or 180 days | Barred above 50% | Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(5); Minn. Stat. §§ 466.05, subd. 1, 3.736, subd. 5; Minn. Stat. § 604.01, subd. 1 |
| Mississippi | 3 years | Not checked | Pure | Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49(1); Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-15 |
| Missouri | 5 years | Not checked | Pure | RSMo § 516.120(4); Gustafson v. Benda, 661 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. banc 1983) (court-made rule) |
| Montana | 3 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(1); Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-702 |
| Nebraska | 4 years | Not checked | Barred at 50% or more | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-207; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-21,185.09 |
| Nevada | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | NRS 11.190(4)(e); NRS 41.141(1) |
| New Hampshire | 3 years | Not checked | Not checked | RSA 508:4(I) |
| New Jersey | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a); N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1 |
| New Mexico | 3 years | 90 days | Pure | NMSA 1978, § 37-1-8; NMSA §§ 41-4-16(A), 41-4-15(A); Scott v. Rizzo, 1981-NMSC-021, 96 N.M. 682, 634 P.2d 1234 (court-made rule) |
| New York | 3 years | 90 days | Pure | N.Y. CPLR 214(5); N.Y. Gen. Mun. Law § 50-e(1)(a); CPLR 1411(a), (b) |
| North Carolina | 3 years | Not checked | Any fault can bar | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(16); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-139 |
| North Dakota | 6 years | 6 months or 180 days | Barred at 50% or more | N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(5); N.D. Cent. Code §§ 32-12.2-04(1)(a), 32-12.1-10(1); N.D.C.C. § 32-03.2-02 |
| Ohio | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10(A); Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33 |
| Oklahoma | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | 12 O.S. § 95(A)(3); 23 O.S. §§ 13, 14 |
| Oregon | 2 years | Not checked | Not checked | ORS 12.110(1) |
| Pennsylvania | 2 years | 6 months or 180 days | Barred above 50% | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2); 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522(a)(1); 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102(a) |
| Rhode Island | 3 years | Not checked | Not checked | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(b) |
| South Carolina | 3 years | No notice step | Barred above 50% | S.C. Code § 15-3-530(5); S.C. Code §§ 15-78-80(d), 15-78-110; Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 303 S.C. 243, 399 S.E.2d 783 (1991) (court-made rule) |
| South Dakota | 3 years | 6 months or 180 days | Other rule | SDCL § 15-2-14(3); SDCL § 3-21-2; SDCL § 20-9-2 |
| Tennessee | 1 year | Not checked | Barred at 50% or more | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A); McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52, 57 (Tenn. 1992) (court-made rule) |
| Texas | 2 years | 6 months or 180 days | Barred above 50% | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003; Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101(a), (b), (c); Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§ 33.001, 33.012(a) |
| Utah | 4 years | 1 year | Barred at 50% or more | Utah Code § 78B-2-307(4) (numbered (3) before the 2023 amendment); Utah Code §§ 63G-7-402, 63G-7-403(2)(b); Utah Code § 78B-5-818(2) |
| Vermont | 3 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | 12 V.S.A. § 512(4); 12 V.S.A. § 1036(a) |
| Virginia | 2 years | 6 months or 180 days | Any fault can bar | Va. Code § 8.01-243(A); Va. Code §§ 15.2-209(A), 8.01-195.6(A); Virginia common law; Ponirakis v. Choi, 262 Va. 119, 546 S.E.2d 707 (2001) |
| Washington | 3 years | Not checked | Pure | RCW 4.16.080(2); RCW 4.22.005 |
| West Virginia | 2 years | Not checked | Barred above 50% | W. Va. Code § 55-2-12(b); W. Va. Code § 55-7-13c(c) (enacted by 2015 H.B. 2002) |
| Wisconsin | Not checked | Not checked | Barred above 50% | Wis. Stat. § 895.045(1) |
| Wyoming | 4 years | 2 years or more | Barred above 50% | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C); Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-39-113(a), 1-39-114; Wyo. Stat. § 1-1-109(b) |
Each state's value is the one its row of this page's table states, with the law it cites. Nothing you tap is saved or sent. Not legal advice.
Fell at work? Workers' compensation usually comes first
A fall at work is usually a workers' compensation claim, not a slip and fall lawsuit against your employer. In Texas, for example, workers' compensation benefits are the exclusive remedy of a covered employee against the employer for a work-related injury (Tex. Labor Code § 408.001(a)). If someone other than your employer owns or runs the property, a separate claim against that owner may also be possible. See workers' comp lawyer for what one may charge in each state, and compensation after an injury at work.
Check a lawyer's license in your state before you hire
Check the license before you sign a fee agreement. A search for a slip and fall attorney near me shows ads and directories; the official search of the state where the case will be filed shows whether a person may practice law there.
Lawyers are licensed by a state agency in each state, and that agency can tell you whether a person has a law license and may practice there, the American Bar Association says. Its list names the agency in every state: in some it is the state bar, in others the state's highest court or one of its agencies. The table below gives each one, with a link where the site is a government or state-bar site this guide links to. ABA: Lawyer Licensing
| State | Where to check a lawyer's license | Run by |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama State Bar member search (alabar.org) | A state bar |
| Alaska | Alaska Bar Association member directory (alaskabar.org) | A state bar |
| Arizona | State Bar of Arizona lawyer search (azbar.org) | A state bar |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Judiciary attorney search | A court or court agency |
| California | State Bar of California attorney search | A state bar |
| Colorado | Colorado Supreme Court attorney search (coloradosupremecourt.com) | A court or court agency |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Judicial Branch attorney and firm inquiry | A court or court agency |
| Delaware | Delaware public attorney search, at the address the ABA lists | Another official site |
| District of Columbia | D.C. Bar member directory (dcbar.org) | A state bar |
| Florida | The Florida Bar member search | A state bar |
| Georgia | State Bar of Georgia member search (gabar.org) | A state bar |
| Hawaii | Hawaii State Bar Association lawyer search (hsba.org) | A state bar |
| Idaho | Idaho State Bar attorney roster | A state bar |
| Illinois | Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (iardc.org) | A court or court agency |
| Indiana | Indiana Roll of Attorneys | A court or court agency |
| Iowa | Iowa court commissions lawyer search (iacourtcommissions.org) | A court or court agency |
| Kansas | Kansas courts attorney registration directory (kscourts.org) | A court or court agency |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Bar Association member search (kybar.org) | A state bar |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board search (ladb.org) | A court or court agency |
| Maine | Maine attorney directory | Another official site |
| Maryland | Maryland Courts attorney search | A court or court agency |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers attorney lookup (massbbo.org) | A court or court agency |
| Michigan | State Bar of Michigan member directory (michbar.org) | A state bar |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Lawyer Registration Office public search | A court or court agency |
| Mississippi | The Mississippi Bar lawyer directory (msbar.org) | A state bar |
| Missouri | The Missouri Bar lawyer directory (mobar.org) | A state bar |
| Montana | State Bar of Montana member search (montanabar.org) | A state bar |
| Nebraska | Nebraska lawyer search | Another official site |
| Nevada | State Bar of Nevada lawyer search (nvbar.org) | A state bar |
| New Hampshire | Call the New Hampshire Bar Association at 603-224-6942 | By phone |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Courts attorney search (njcourts.gov) | A court or court agency |
| New Mexico | State Bar of New Mexico (sbnm.org) | A state bar |
| New York | New York State Unified Court System attorney search | A court or court agency |
| North Carolina | North Carolina State Bar license verification | A state bar |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Courts lawyer search | A court or court agency |
| Ohio | Supreme Court of Ohio attorney search | A court or court agency |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Bar Association member search (okbar.org) | A state bar |
| Oregon | Oregon State Bar member search (osbar.org) | A state bar |
| Pennsylvania | Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania attorney search (padisciplinaryboard.org) | A court or court agency |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Bar Association member directory (ribar.com) | A state bar |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Judicial Branch attorney search (sccourts.org) | A court or court agency |
| South Dakota | Call the State Bar of South Dakota at 605-224-7554 | By phone |
| Tennessee | Board of Professional Responsibility online attorney directory (tbpr.org) | A court or court agency |
| Texas | State Bar of Texas Find a Lawyer | A state bar |
| Utah | Utah State Bar member directory (utahbar.org) | A state bar |
| Vermont | Vermont Judiciary attorney licensing page, "Attorneys in Good Standing" (vermontjudiciary.org) | A court or court agency |
| Virginia | Virginia State Bar attorney search (vsb.org) | A state bar |
| Washington | Washington State Bar Association lawyer directory (wsba.org) | A state bar |
| West Virginia | West Virginia State Bar member search (wvbar.org) | A state bar |
| Wisconsin | State Bar of Wisconsin lawyer search (wisbar.org) | A state bar |
| Wyoming | Wyoming State Bar membership directory (wyomingbar.org) | A state bar |
- Search the exact name on the license, and check that the status is active and the person is allowed to practice now.
- Look for public discipline. Many of these searches show it, and the same agency handles complaints about lawyers.
- A lawyer from another state usually cannot handle a case in your state's courts unless the court lets them in for that case.
- A business name is not a license. Ask for the lawyer’s own name and check that person, not the firm.
State map · 51 of 51 with a value
Check a lawyer's license: who runs the official search in your state
- A state bar27
- A court or court agency19
- Another official site3
- By phone2
See the table 51 rows
| State | Who runs the search | The rule | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | A state bar | Alabama State Bar member search (alabar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Alaska | A state bar | Alaska Bar Association member directory (alaskabar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Arizona | A state bar | State Bar of Arizona lawyer search (azbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Arkansas | A court or court agency | Arkansas Judiciary attorney search (arkansas.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| California | A state bar | State Bar of California attorney search (calbar.ca.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Colorado | A court or court agency | Colorado Supreme Court attorney search (coloradosupremecourt.com) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Connecticut | A court or court agency | Connecticut Judicial Branch attorney and firm inquiry (jud.ct.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Delaware | Another official site | Delaware public attorney search, at the address the ABA lists | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| District of Columbia | A state bar | D.C. Bar member directory (dcbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Florida | A state bar | The Florida Bar member search (floridabar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Georgia | A state bar | State Bar of Georgia member search (gabar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Hawaii | A state bar | Hawaii State Bar Association lawyer search (hsba.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Idaho | A state bar | Idaho State Bar attorney roster (isb.idaho.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Illinois | A court or court agency | Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (iardc.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Indiana | A court or court agency | Indiana Roll of Attorneys (in.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Iowa | A court or court agency | Iowa court commissions lawyer search (iacourtcommissions.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Kansas | A court or court agency | Kansas courts attorney registration directory (kscourts.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Kentucky | A state bar | Kentucky Bar Association member search (kybar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Louisiana | A court or court agency | Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board search (ladb.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Maine | Another official site | Maine attorney directory (maine.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Maryland | A court or court agency | Maryland Courts attorney search (mdcourts.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Massachusetts | A court or court agency | Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers attorney lookup (massbbo.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Michigan | A state bar | State Bar of Michigan member directory (michbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Minnesota | A court or court agency | Minnesota Lawyer Registration Office public search (lro.mn.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Mississippi | A state bar | The Mississippi Bar lawyer directory (msbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Missouri | A state bar | The Missouri Bar lawyer directory (mobar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Montana | A state bar | State Bar of Montana member search (montanabar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Nebraska | Another official site | Nebraska lawyer search (ne.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Nevada | A state bar | State Bar of Nevada lawyer search (nvbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| New Hampshire | By phone | Call the New Hampshire Bar Association at 603-224-6942 | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| New Jersey | A court or court agency | New Jersey Courts attorney search (njcourts.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| New Mexico | A state bar | State Bar of New Mexico (sbnm.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| New York | A court or court agency | New York State Unified Court System attorney search (courts.state.ny.us) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| North Carolina | A state bar | North Carolina State Bar license verification (ncbar.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| North Dakota | A court or court agency | North Dakota Courts lawyer search (ndcourts.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Ohio | A court or court agency | Supreme Court of Ohio attorney search (supremecourt.ohio.gov) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Oklahoma | A state bar | Oklahoma Bar Association member search (okbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Oregon | A state bar | Oregon State Bar member search (osbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Pennsylvania | A court or court agency | Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania attorney search (padisciplinaryboard.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Rhode Island | A state bar | Rhode Island Bar Association member directory (ribar.com) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| South Carolina | A court or court agency | South Carolina Judicial Branch attorney search (sccourts.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| South Dakota | By phone | Call the State Bar of South Dakota at 605-224-7554 | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Tennessee | A court or court agency | Board of Professional Responsibility online attorney directory (tbpr.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Texas | A state bar | State Bar of Texas Find a Lawyer (texasbar.com) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Utah | A state bar | Utah State Bar member directory (utahbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Vermont | A court or court agency | Vermont Judiciary attorney licensing page, "Attorneys in Good Standing" (vermontjudiciary.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Virginia | A state bar | Virginia State Bar attorney search (vsb.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Washington | A state bar | Washington State Bar Association lawyer directory (wsba.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| West Virginia | A state bar | West Virginia State Bar member search (wvbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Wisconsin | A state bar | State Bar of Wisconsin lawyer search (wisbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
| Wyoming | A state bar | Wyoming State Bar membership directory (wyomingbar.org) | ABA: Lawyer Licensing |
Each state's value is the one its row of this page's table states, with the law it cites. Nothing you tap is saved or sent. Not legal advice.
Your first meeting with a slip and fall lawyer: what to bring and ask
Bring what you have; a lawyer can tell you much more with the papers in front of them. Say what you saw and what you did not, and say "I don't know" instead of guessing how long the hazard was there. Ask:
- “Is your license active in this state, and have you handled premises cases like mine?”
- “What will we have to prove here about what the owner knew, and how long the hazard was there?”
- “What is my deadline, and does a notice to a government come first?”
- “Was I an invitee, a licensee or something else, and does it matter in this state?”
- “How would my own share of the fault change the claim here?”
- “What percentage do you take, is it figured before or after costs, and who pays the costs if there is no recovery?”
- “Will you ask the owner in writing to keep the video and the records?”
Checklist
Ready for the first meeting with a slip and fall lawyer?
Tick each point as you get it ready.
Every point comes from this page and its official sources. Your ticks are not saved or sent anywhere. Not legal advice.
Common questions about slip and fall lawyers
How much does a slip and fall lawyer take?
Usually a percentage of what you recover, agreed in writing, and no official source publishes an average. Some rules set the most: 20% of a federal agency settlement and 25% after a lawsuit against the United States, 25% on a claim against Florida's government, one-third in Michigan, a sliding scale from 33⅓% in Connecticut. Bar referral services publish a first-consultation price, such as up to $25 for 30 minutes through The Florida Bar.
Is it worth suing for a slip and fall?
It depends on the injury and the proof, and no page can predict a case. A claim needs proof that the owner knew or should have known of the hazard and failed to fix it or warn. To sue: keep the evidence, check your deadline and any notice to a government, then file a complaint in the right court; how to sue someone has the steps, and a small claim may fit small claims court.
Are slip and fall cases hard to win?
They can be. In 2005 state court trials, plaintiffs won 38.4% of premises liability trials, against 64.3% in motor vehicle trials (Bureau of Justice Statistics). The hard part is notice: showing how long the hazard was there or that the owner created it. Video and inspection logs are often the proof.
How much are most slip and fall settlements?
No official source publishes an average, and online figures are estimates. A claim is made of medical expenses, lost earnings and pain and suffering, reduced in most states by your share of the fault. In 2005 trials, the median award to premises plaintiffs who won was $98,000. Ask for any offer in writing before you decide.
What are the four proofs of negligence?
A duty of care, a breach of that duty, causation and harm. California's premises instruction puts them as four things to prove: the defendant owned, leased, occupied or controlled the property; was negligent in using or maintaining it; you were harmed; and that negligence was a substantial factor in causing the harm (CACI No. 1000).
What does premises injury mean?
An injury caused by a dangerous condition of a property, such as a spill, a broken step, poor lighting or ice. The legal claim is premises liability, brought against whoever owns, leases, occupies or controls the property.
I fell on public property. Is the deadline different?
Yes. Most governments need a written notice or claim first: within 90 days in New York, Kentucky (city streets and sidewalks) and New Mexico; 6 months in California, Texas and Pennsylvania; 180 days in Arizona, Minnesota and South Dakota; 2 years for the United States. Use the notice calculator on this page.
What if the owner says I was partly at fault?
In most states your share of the fault reduces what you recover; in some, a share over 50% ends the claim, and in a few any fault of yours can bar it. See your state in the table on this page, and test an amount with the shared-fault calculator on the slip and fall law page.
Will the store keep the video of my fall?
Not necessarily; no official rule read for this page sets how long a store keeps its video. Ask in writing, soon, that it keep the video, the incident report and the cleaning logs, and keep proof of the day you sent it. The letter on this page does that.
I fell at work. Do I need a slip and fall lawyer?
Usually the claim is workers' compensation, not a lawsuit against your employer; in Texas, workers' compensation is a covered employee's exclusive remedy against the employer. If another company owns or runs the property, a separate claim against it may be possible. A workers' comp lawyer can tell you which applies.
How do I find a slip and fall attorney near me, and is a lawyer different from an attorney?
In everyday US use the two words mean the same thing: a person licensed to practice law. What matters is the license. Check it with the official search of your state, listed on this page, or use a bar referral service; this page does not rank or recommend lawyers.
Official sources
- Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (CACI), 2026: Nos. 204, 400, 405, 1000-1012, 1100, 3900, 3903A, 3903C, 3905A (PDF) courts.ca.gov
- Michigan Model Civil Jury Instructions, chapter 19, premises liability: M Civ JI 19.01, 19.03, 19.06, 19.07 (PDF) courts.michigan.gov
- Connecticut Judicial Branch, Civil Jury Instructions, part 3.9 premises liability: 3.9-2, 3.9-3, 3.9-4, 3.9-12, 3.9-13, 3.9-17 (PDF) jud.ct.gov
- Florida Statutes § 768.0755 (2026): premises liability for transitory foreign substances in a business establishment flsenate.gov
- Florida Statutes § 768.28 (2026): claims against the state ((5)(a) $200,000 / $300,000; (6)(a) written claim within 3 years; (8) fees at most 25 percent) flsenate.gov
- A.R.S. § 12-821.01: notice of claim within 180 days azleg.gov
- A.R.S. § 12-821: actions against a public entity within one year azleg.gov
- Connecticut General Statutes, chapter 238 (§ 13a-149: defective roads and bridges, notice within ninety days, two years to sue) cga.ct.gov
- Iowa Code § 670.5: actions against a municipality within two years (PDF) legis.iowa.gov
- Iowa Code § 669.13: claims against the State within two years (PDF) legis.iowa.gov
- KRS 411.110: action against a city for injury from a defect in a thoroughfare, notice within 90 days (PDF) legislature.ky.gov
- 14 M.R.S. § 8107: notice to a governmental entity within 365 days legislature.maine.gov
- Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-304: notice to a local government within 1 year mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Md. Code, State Government § 12-106: claim to the Treasurer within 1 year, suit within 3 years mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Minn. Stat. § 466.05: notice of claim to a municipality within 180 days revisor.mn.gov
- Minn. Stat. § 3.736, subd. 5: notice of claim to the State within 180 days revisor.mn.gov
- NMSA 1978, chapter 41 (§ 41-4-15: two years; § 41-4-16: notice within ninety days) nmonesource.com
- N.D. Cent. Code chapter 32-12.2 (§ 32-12.2-04: notice to the State within 180 days) (PDF) ndlegis.gov
- N.D. Cent. Code chapter 32-12.1 (§ 32-12.1-10: actions against political subdivisions within three years) (PDF) ndlegis.gov
- 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522: notice to a government unit within six months (PDF) palegis.us
- S.C. Code, title 15, chapter 78 (§ 15-78-80: verified claim within one year if filed; § 15-78-110: two or three years to sue) scstatehouse.gov
- SDCL § 3-21-2: notice to a public entity within 180 days sdlegislature.gov
- Utah Code title 63G, chapter 7, part 4 (§ 63G-7-402: notice of claim within one year; § 63G-7-403: suit within two years) (PDF) le.utah.gov
- Va. Code § 15.2-209: notice to counties, cities and towns within six months law.lis.virginia.gov
- Va. Code § 8.01-195.6: notice of claim to the Commonwealth within one year law.lis.virginia.gov
- Wyoming Statutes, title 1 (§ 1-39-113: claim within two years; § 1-39-114: suit within one year after the claim) (PDF) wyoleg.gov
- Bureau of Justice Statistics, Civil Bench and Jury Trials in State Courts, 2005 (NCJ 223851): premises liability trials, plaintiff winners, median awards (PDF) bjs.ojp.gov
- California Courts Self-Help Guide: Ask a government agency to pay you (government claims) selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 101: Tort Claims (§§ 101.022, 101.101) tcss.legis.texas.gov
- New York General Municipal Law § 50-e: notice of claim nysenate.gov
- NYC Department of Transportation: sidewalks (property owner responsibility) nyc.gov
- 28 U.S.C. § 2401(b): time for a tort claim against the United States govinfo.gov
- 28 U.S.C. § 2675: claim to the federal agency first govinfo.gov
- GSA: Standard Form 95, Claim for Damage, Injury, or Death gsa.gov
- Texas Labor Code § 408.001: exclusive remedy tcss.legis.texas.gov
- State Bar of California: What to expect regarding fees and billing calbar.ca.gov
- Texas Government Code ch. 82: §§ 82.065 and 82.0651, contingent fee contracts and barratry tcss.legis.texas.gov
- Texas Penal Code ch. 38: § 38.12, barratry and solicitation of professional employment tcss.legis.texas.gov
- Connecticut: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-251c(b), (c), (e), (f), limit on contingency fees cga.ct.gov
- Oklahoma: Okla. Stat. tit. 5, § 7, limit on contingency fees oklegislature.gov
- Michigan Court Rules, MCR 8.121: contingent fees in personal injury cases (one-third) courts.michigan.gov
- 28 U.S.C. § 2678: attorney fees in claims against the United States (20% and 25%) govinfo.gov
- Alabama: Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l), deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Alabama: Alabama common law; Serio v. Merrell, Inc., 941 So. 2d 960, 964 (Ala. 2006), shared fault govinfo.gov
- Alaska: AS 09.10.070(a), deadline to sue for a personal injury akleg.gov
- Alaska: AS 09.17.060, shared fault akleg.gov
- Arizona: A.R.S. § 12-542(1), deadline to sue for a personal injury azleg.gov
- Arizona: A.R.S. § 12-2505(A), shared fault azleg.gov
- Arkansas: Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105, deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Arkansas: Ark. Code Ann. § 16-64-122(b), shared fault govinfo.gov
- California: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1, deadline to sue for a personal injury selfhelp.courts.ca.gov
- Colorado: C.R.S. § 13-80-102(1)(a); § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I), deadline to sue for a personal injury coloradojudicial.gov
- Colorado: C.R.S. § 13-21-111(1); Mountain Mobile Mix, Inc. v. Gifford, 660 P.2d 883 (Colo. 1983), shared fault coloradojudicial.gov
- Connecticut: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584, deadline to sue for a personal injury cga.ct.gov
- Connecticut: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-572h(b), shared fault cga.ct.gov
- Delaware: 10 Del. C. § 8119, deadline to sue for a personal injury delcode.delaware.gov
- District of Columbia: D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(8), deadline to sue for a personal injury code.dccouncil.gov
- District of Columbia: D.C. common law (Washington Metro. Area Transit Auth. v. Young, 731 A.2d 389, 394 (D.C. 1999)); D.C. Code § 50-2204.52, shared fault dccourts.gov
- Florida: Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a), deadline to sue for a personal injury flsenate.gov
- Florida: Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6), shared fault flsenate.gov
- Georgia: O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Georgia: O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33(a), (g), shared fault legis.ga.gov
- Hawaii: HRS § 657-7, deadline to sue for a personal injury courts.state.hi.us
- Hawaii: HRS § 663-31(a), shared fault courts.state.hi.us
- Idaho: Idaho Code § 5-219(4), deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Idaho: Idaho Code § 6-801, shared fault mdcourts.gov
- Illinois: 735 ILCS 5/13-202, deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Illinois: 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, shared fault ilga.gov
- Indiana: Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4, deadline to sue for a personal injury in.gov
- Indiana: Ind. Code §§ 34-51-2-5, 34-51-2-6, shared fault govinfo.gov
- Iowa: Iowa Code § 614.1(2), deadline to sue for a personal injury legis.iowa.gov
- Iowa: Iowa Code § 668.3(1)(a), shared fault legis.iowa.gov
- Kansas: K.S.A. 60-513(a)(4), (b), deadline to sue for a personal injury ksrevisor.gov
- Kansas: K.S.A. 60-258a(a), shared fault ksrevisor.gov
- Kentucky: KRS 413.140(1)(a); KRS 304.39-230(6), deadline to sue for a personal injury apps.legislature.ky.gov
- Kentucky: KRS 411.182(1)(b), (3), shared fault apps.legislature.ky.gov
- Louisiana: La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423), deadline to sue for a personal injury legis.la.gov
- Louisiana: La. Civ. Code art. 2323(A)(2) (Acts 2025, No. 15), shared fault legis.la.gov
- Maine: 14 M.R.S. § 752, deadline to sue for a personal injury legislature.maine.gov
- Maine: 14 M.R.S. § 156, shared fault legislature.maine.gov
- Maryland: Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101, deadline to sue for a personal injury mgaleg.maryland.gov
- Massachusetts: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A, deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Massachusetts: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 231, § 85, shared fault govinfo.gov
- Michigan: MCL 600.5805(2), deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Michigan: Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2959, shared fault legislature.mi.gov
- Minnesota: Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(5), deadline to sue for a personal injury revisor.mn.gov
- Minnesota: Minn. Stat. § 604.01, subd. 1, shared fault revisor.mn.gov
- Mississippi: Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49(1), deadline to sue for a personal injury courts.ms.gov
- Mississippi: Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-15, shared fault courts.ms.gov
- Missouri: RSMo § 516.120(4), deadline to sue for a personal injury revisor.mo.gov
- Missouri: Gustafson v. Benda, 661 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. banc 1983) (court-made rule), shared fault govinfo.gov
- Montana: Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(1), deadline to sue for a personal injury mca.legmt.gov
- Montana: Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-702, shared fault mca.legmt.gov
- Nebraska: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-207, deadline to sue for a personal injury nebraska.gov
- Nebraska: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-21,185.09, shared fault nebraska.gov
- Nevada: NRS 11.190(4)(e), deadline to sue for a personal injury nvcourts.gov
- Nevada: NRS 41.141(1), shared fault govinfo.gov
- New Hampshire: RSA 508:4(I), deadline to sue for a personal injury nhb.uscourts.gov
- New Jersey: N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a), deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- New Jersey: N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1, shared fault govinfo.gov
- New Mexico: NMSA 1978, § 37-1-8, deadline to sue for a personal injury nmonesource.com
- New Mexico: Scott v. Rizzo, 1981-NMSC-021, 96 N.M. 682, 634 P.2d 1234 (court-made rule), shared fault coa.nmcourts.gov
- New York: N.Y. CPLR 214(5), deadline to sue for a personal injury nysenate.gov
- New York: CPLR 1411(a), (b), shared fault nysenate.gov
- North Carolina: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(16), deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- North Carolina: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-139, shared fault ncleg.gov
- North Dakota: N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(5), deadline to sue for a personal injury ndlegis.gov
- North Dakota: N.D.C.C. § 32-03.2-02, shared fault ndlegis.gov
- Ohio: Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10(A), deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Ohio: Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33, shared fault codes.ohio.gov
- Oklahoma: 12 O.S. § 95(A)(3), deadline to sue for a personal injury oklegislature.gov
- Oklahoma: 23 O.S. §§ 13, 14, shared fault oklegislature.gov
- Oregon: ORS 12.110(1), deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Pennsylvania: 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2), deadline to sue for a personal injury palegis.us
- Pennsylvania: 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102(a), shared fault palegis.us
- Rhode Island: R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(b), deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- South Carolina: S.C. Code § 15-3-530(5), deadline to sue for a personal injury scstatehouse.gov
- South Carolina: Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 303 S.C. 243, 399 S.E.2d 783 (1991) (court-made rule), shared fault ca4.uscourts.gov
- South Dakota: SDCL § 15-2-14(3), deadline to sue for a personal injury sdlegislature.gov
- South Dakota: SDCL § 20-9-2, shared fault sdlegislature.gov
- Tennessee: Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A), deadline to sue for a personal injury govinfo.gov
- Tennessee: McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52, 57 (Tenn. 1992) (court-made rule), shared fault govinfo.gov
- Texas: Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, deadline to sue for a personal injury tcss.legis.texas.gov
- Texas: Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§ 33.001, 33.012(a), shared fault tcss.legis.texas.gov
- Utah: Utah Code § 78B-2-307(4) (numbered (3) before the 2023 amendment), deadline to sue for a personal injury le.utah.gov
- Utah: Utah Code § 78B-5-818(2), shared fault le.utah.gov
- Vermont: 12 V.S.A. § 512(4), deadline to sue for a personal injury legislature.vermont.gov
- Vermont: 12 V.S.A. § 1036(a), shared fault legislature.vermont.gov
- Virginia: Va. Code § 8.01-243(A), deadline to sue for a personal injury law.lis.virginia.gov
- Virginia: Virginia common law; Ponirakis v. Choi, 262 Va. 119, 546 S.E.2d 707 (2001), shared fault vawd.uscourts.gov
- Washington: RCW 4.16.080(2), deadline to sue for a personal injury courts.wa.gov
- Washington: RCW 4.22.005, shared fault courts.wa.gov
- West Virginia: W. Va. Code § 55-2-12(b), deadline to sue for a personal injury ca4.uscourts.gov
- West Virginia: W. Va. Code § 55-7-13c(c) (enacted by 2015 H.B. 2002), shared fault wvlegislature.gov
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.5: Fees (written fee terms, contingent fees, the ban in criminal and divorce cases) americanbar.org
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.15: Safekeeping property (fees paid in advance go into a client trust account) americanbar.org
- State Bar of Texas: Lawyer Referral & Information Service texasbar.com
- The Florida Bar: Lawyer Referral Service floridabar.org
- New York State Bar Association: Lawyer Referral Service nysba.org
- State Bar of California: certified lawyer referral services calbar.ca.gov
- American Bar Association: Lawyer Licensing (the agency that licenses lawyers in each state, with its search), opened November 1, 2026 americanbar.org
- Arkansas: Arkansas Judiciary attorney search, as the ABA lists it attorneyinfo.aoc.arkansas.gov
- California: State Bar of California attorney search, as the ABA lists it apps.calbar.ca.gov
- Connecticut: Connecticut Judicial Branch attorney and firm inquiry, as the ABA lists it jud.ct.gov
- Florida: The Florida Bar member search, as the ABA lists it floridabar.org
- Idaho: Idaho State Bar attorney roster, as the ABA lists it isb.idaho.gov
- Indiana: Indiana Roll of Attorneys, as the ABA lists it courtapps.in.gov
- Maine: Maine attorney directory, as the ABA lists it maine.gov
- Maryland: Maryland Courts attorney search, as the ABA lists it mdcourts.gov
- Minnesota: Minnesota Lawyer Registration Office public search, as the ABA lists it lro.mn.gov
- Nebraska: Nebraska lawyer search, as the ABA lists it mcle.wcc.ne.gov
- New York: New York State Unified Court System attorney search, as the ABA lists it iapps.courts.state.ny.us
- North Carolina: North Carolina State Bar license verification, as the ABA lists it portal.ncbar.gov
- North Dakota: North Dakota Courts lawyer search, as the ABA lists it ndcourts.gov
- Ohio: Supreme Court of Ohio attorney search, as the ABA lists it supremecourt.ohio.gov
- Texas: State Bar of Texas Find a Lawyer, as the ABA lists it texasbar.com
Related
This page explains the law in general terms. It is not legal advice about your situation. Justice is not a law firm and is not affiliated with any court or government agency.