DC and Maryland Statute of Limitations Calculator for Injury Claims

This statute of limitations calculator covers personal injury claims in Washington, DC and Maryland. It does something most deadline charts do not: it also calculates the notice deadlines that apply when a government body may be at fault. Those notice deadlines run as short as six months, and missing one can end a claim long before the statute of limitations does.

Enter the date of the injury, who was hurt, and who may be responsible. The calculator lists every deadline that applies, puts the earliest first, and links to the statute behind each date. It is free, it stores nothing you enter, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Do not rely on it to protect a claim. It cannot account for the facts of your case, and the real deadline can be shorter than the date it shows. If any date is close, call us at (202) 331-7227.

How This Statute of Limitations Calculator Works

A statute of limitations is the last day a lawsuit can be filed. In both DC and Maryland the general rule for injury claims is three years from the date the claim accrues, which for most crashes and falls is the date of the injury. The calculator starts there and then adjusts for three things: the type of claim, the age or death of the injured person, and the identity of the defendant.

The dates come straight from the statutes. Three years from March 15, 2026 is March 15, 2029. Six months from August 31 lands on the last day of February, because the statutes count by calendar month. If a computed date falls on a weekend, the calculator flags it but does not push it to the next business day. Court rules often allow that extension for a lawsuit, but a notice statute may not, so the safe course is to file or serve before the weekend.

The calculator does not apply the discovery rule, equitable tolling, or any good-cause exception. Each of those can help in the right case, and none of them is something to plan around. When a longer period might be available, the tool tells you so in a note and still shows the shorter date.

Washington, DC Deadlines in the Statute of Limitations Calculator

The general period for negligence claims in the District is three years under D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(8). Assault, battery, false arrest, and a handful of other intentional torts get one year under § 12-301(a)(4), and DC courts apply that shorter period when a claim labeled negligence is really an outgrowth of an intentional act. Wrongful death claims must be filed by the personal representative within two years of the death under § 16-2702, and the DC Court of Appeals held in Group Health Association v. Gatlin that the two years are not extended when the beneficiaries are children. A survival claim, which is the injured person’s own claim carried on by the estate, keeps the three-year period measured from the injury.

The deadline that catches the most people is § 12-309. Any claim for damages against the District of Columbia requires written notice to the Mayor within six months of the injury, stating the approximate time, place, cause, and circumstances. The statute treats a written Metropolitan Police Department report made in the regular course of duty as sufficient notice, but whether a specific report qualifies is litigated constantly, so we always send formal notice. The DC Court of Appeals has refused to extend the six months for children, in Gwinn v. District of Columbia and again in Doe by Fein v. District of Columbia. Our page on claims against the DC government walks through the notice itself.

Medical malpractice claims in DC carry an extra step. § 16-2802 requires a written notice of intent to sue served on each provider at least 90 days before the lawsuit is filed. If that notice goes out within the last 90 days of the limitations period, § 16-2803 extends the filing deadline to 90 days after service. The calculator shows the notice date that avoids needing the extension.

Maryland Deadlines in the Statute of Limitations Calculator

Maryland’s general rule is three years under Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-101. Assault gets one year under § 5-105. Wrongful death claims must be filed within three years of the death under § 3-904(g), with separate rules for occupational disease and concealed homicide. Survival claims run three years from the injury. We cover the details, including the discovery rule, in our guide to the Maryland statute of limitations for personal injury.

Maryland has two notice statutes, and they point to different offices. When a county, city, or other local government may be liable, the Local Government Tort Claims Act requires written notice within one year of the injury, delivered in person or by certified mail with a return receipt. In Montgomery County and Howard County the notice goes to the County Executive. In Prince George’s County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Frederick County, and Harford County it goes to the county attorney or solicitor. In Baltimore City it goes to the City Solicitor. Maryland’s highest court held in Rios v. Montgomery County that a child’s age by itself does not excuse a late notice. Our LGTCA notice guide covers the mechanics.

When the State of Maryland or a state employee may be liable, the Maryland Tort Claims Act requires a written claim to the State Treasurer within one year of the injury. The Treasurer must deny the claim before suit can be filed, and the suit must be filed within three years after the cause of action arises. State defendants include the State Highway Administration, the Maryland Transit Administration, the University System of Maryland, and the Maryland State Police.

Malpractice claims in Maryland follow § 5-109: the earlier of five years from the injury or three years from discovery. They are filed first with the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office rather than in court, and a certificate of a qualified expert is due within 90 days of filing. The statute says the clock for a child starts at age 11, or 16 for certain injuries, but in Piselli v. 75th Street Medical the Court of Appeals held that a child’s own malpractice claim does not start to run until the child turns 18. The calculator shows the adult date for a child because it is the earliest date the claim could expire, and a lawyer should confirm the actual date.

Federal Defendants and WMATA

Crashes on the George Washington Parkway, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and Rock Creek Parkway, collisions with Postal Service trucks, and injuries at VA and military hospitals usually involve the federal government. The Federal Tort Claims Act, at 28 U.S.C. § 2401(b), requires an administrative claim to the responsible agency within two years. The agency then has six months to act. A lawsuit can be filed only after a denial, and must be filed within six months after the denial is mailed. Federal courts have generally refused to pause the two-year period for a child’s age.

WMATA is an interstate compact agency rather than an arm of the District, the State, or a county. The notice statutes discussed above do not apply to it by their terms, and the ordinary three-year period governs a claim that arose in DC or Maryland. Under Section 80 of the WMATA Compact, WMATA is liable for torts in its proprietary functions, such as operating buses and trains, but keeps its immunity for governmental functions, which courts have read to include many transit police and policy decisions. That is why bus and rail claims need a legal review early.

Children, Parents, and the Statute of Limitations Calculator

Both jurisdictions pause the limitations period for a child. In DC, § 12-302(a) lets the child bring the claim within the normal period after turning 18. In Maryland, § 5-201 gives the lesser of three years or the normal period after the child turns 18. For a typical negligence claim in either place, that means the child’s 21st birthday.

Two things are not paused. A parent’s claim for the child’s medical bills belongs to the parent and runs from the injury date. Maryland’s Court of Appeals said so directly in Garay v. Overholtzer, and the DC tolling statute by its terms covers only the person who is under the disability. The notice deadlines for government defendants also run from the injury date. Families who wait because the child has years to sue routinely lose the government defendant and the medical expense claim in the meantime.

What the Calculator Leaves Out on Purpose

Several deadlines depend on facts the calculator does not ask for. If the at-fault driver has died, both jurisdictions require claims to be presented to the estate within months, and a late claim may be limited to the amount of the driver’s insurance. Auto policies impose their own deadlines for personal injury protection and uninsured motorist claims, and DC drivers have a 60-day window to elect PIP benefits. Injuries that were not immediately apparent, exposure cases, and claims involving fraud or concealment may accrue on a later date. Claims that arose in Virginia or another state follow that state’s law, and Virginia’s general period is two years. Each of those situations is a reason to talk to a lawyer, not a reason to assume you have more time.

Free Consultation on Your Deadline

If a date on this page is within a few months, do not wait. Gelb & Gelb has handled injury claims in Washington, DC and Maryland since 1954, and our attorneys are licensed in both jurisdictions. We offer a free consultation and handle injury cases on a contingency fee, so no attorney fee is owed unless we obtain a recovery. Case costs are addressed separately in the written fee agreement. Contact us online or call (202) 331-7227.

Sources and Verification Method

Every deadline in the calculator is tied to a specific section of the D.C. Code, the Maryland Code, or the United States Code, and each result links to the official text on the DC Council, Maryland General Assembly, or U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel websites. Case law references are to Gwinn v. District of Columbia (D.C. 1981) and Doe by Fein v. District of Columbia (D.C. 1997) on minors and § 12-309, Group Health Association v. Gatlin (D.C. 1983) on minors and the wrongful death period, Rios v. Montgomery County (Md. 2005) on minors and the LGTCA notice, Piselli v. 75th Street Medical (Md. 2002) on minors and malpractice, and Garay v. Overholtzer (Md. 1993) on parents’ claims. We checked each section against its current published text on September 10, 2026. The Maryland General Assembly’s 2026 session, which adjourned in April 2026, did not change any of the sections used here.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The information on this page and the results of the calculator are for general informational purposes and are not legal advice. Using the calculator does not create an attorney-client relationship. Gelb & Gelb attorneys are licensed in the District of Columbia and Maryland.