Statute of limitations for slip and fall in Washington

Rule or statute summary

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Statute Of Limitations calculator.

In Washington, the statute of limitations (“SOL”) for most slip-and-fall injury lawsuits is 5 years under the state’s general limitations statute. DocketMath uses that default/general rule for slip-and-fall when no special, claim-type-specific SOL is identified.

What that means for a typical slip and fall

• General/default SOL period: 5 years
• General statute (baseline): RCW 9A.04.080
• No claim-type-specific sub-rule found: This 5-year period is presented as the general/default rule. If your situation fits a more specific limitations rule, the deadline may be different—so treat this as your starting point, not a guarantee.

Practical takeaway: when the clock starts

Most limitations periods in Washington are tied to the date the claim accrues (often connected to the injury date and/or when the injury was discovered, depending on the legal theory). Because accrual rules can vary by cause of action, it helps to think in two steps:

1. Baseline rule (what DocketMath uses here): the 5-year SOL from RCW 9A.04.080.
2. Accrual trigger (your input): the date you use as the starting point for the clock, based on your claim theory (for example, injury date, or a discovery/accrual date if applicable).

Common “inputs” you’ll consider

Even if the SOL length is 5 years, the deadline you get from any calculator depends on what you enter as the start date. In practice, you may be choosing between:

• Injury date (the day you slipped/fell), or
• Accrual/discovery date (a later date that starts the clock under your theory, if discovery/accrual concepts apply).

Why you should still verify your theory

This article is designed to be practical and to help you use DocketMath correctly. It’s not legal advice, and SOL rules can turn on facts and claim labels that may change the applicable limitations period. If you have unusual circumstances—such as ongoing conditions, delayed discovery issues, or claims that could be categorized differently—consider confirming which SOL and accrual rule actually applies.

Citations

Use these sources to confirm the authoritative text before finalizing the calculation.

• RCW 4.16.080

If an assumption is uncertain, document it alongside the calculation so the result can be re-run later.

Capture the source for each input so another team member can verify the same result quickly.

Washington general statute of limitations: 5 years

• RCW 9A.04.080 — provides a 5-year limitations period for certain actions, and it is the general/default period applied here for slip-and-fall when no claim-type-specific sub-rule is identified.

Bottom line citation for this article: **RCW 9A.04.080 (5 years)

DocketMath jurisdiction context (Washington)

• Jurisdiction: Washington (US-WA)
• General SOL period used by DocketMath: 5 years
• General statute used by DocketMath: RCW 9A.04.080

Disclaimer (gentle)

SOL and accrual rules can be fact-specific. If you’re dealing with a complex timeline, multiple injuries, or uncertainty about when the claim accrued, it may be worth getting legal help to verify the correct limitations period.

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator applies the Washington default SOL of 5 years under RCW 9A.04.080. You convert that rule into a specific deadline by entering the dates that control the start of the SOL under your theory.

Inputs you should provide

Use these inputs to match your facts as closely as possible:

• Injury date (date of the slip/fall): The date you fell or were injured.
• Accrual/discovery date (if known/used in your theory): If your claim theory uses discovery/accrual instead of the raw injury date, enter the date that starts the clock under that theory.
• Jurisdiction: Washington (US-WA)
• Claim type: Use default/general if you’re relying on the general rule only.

How the output changes

Because the calculator is based on the general 5-year SOL, the deadline generally follows this logic:

• If you use the injury date as the start date, the deadline is typically 5 years from that injury date.
• If you use a later accrual/discovery date, the deadline typically shifts later by the time between the injury date and the date you treat as accrual/discovery.
• If you later determine that a different, more specific SOL applies (even though none was identified in this general overview), the calculator result could change—sometimes materially.

Example timelines (illustrative)

These examples show how the timeline moves under the general 5-year rule; they are not a substitute for an accrual analysis.

• Scenario A (injury date starts the clock):

  • Injury date: 2020-06-15
  • General SOL: 5 years
  • Deadline target: around 2025-06-15

• Scenario B (accrual/discovery date starts the clock):

  • Injury date: 2020-06-15
  • Accrual/discovery date used instead: 2021-01-10
  • General SOL: 5 years from accrual
  • Deadline target: around 2026-01-10

Run it now

Use DocketMath’s calculator here: /tools/statute-of-limitations

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator