Statute of Limitations for General Personal Injury / Negligence in Georgia

6 min read

Published April 8, 2026 • By DocketMath Team

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently — verify all citations with current official sources.

Overview

Georgia’s general statute of limitations for personal injury and negligence claims is 1 year under O.C.G.A. § 17-3-1. That means most lawsuits based on bodily injury, harm caused by negligence, or similar personal-injury theories must be filed within one year of the date the claim accrues.

This page covers the general/default period only. No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in the jurisdiction data provided, so DocketMath uses the default 1-year deadline unless a different rule applies to your facts.

Common examples of claims that may fall into this general bucket include:

Slip-and-fall injuries
General negligence claims
Personal injury claims not governed by a separate statute
Some civil claims where Georgia applies the default limitation period

Note: Deadlines are counted from the date the claim accrues, and filing even one day late can make a claim untimely.

For a fast deadline check, use the statute of limitations calculator to estimate the last filing date based on the injury date and any dates that may affect accrual.

Limitation period

Georgia’s general limitations period for personal injury and negligence is 1 year.

That gives you a short filing window compared with many other states. In practical terms, the clock usually starts when the injury happens or when the claim otherwise accrues under Georgia law. If the deadline passes before suit is filed, the claim is typically barred.

How the deadline works in practice

A simple way to think about it:

Item	Rule
General period	1 year
Governing statute	O.C.G.A. § 17-3-1
Typical trigger	Claim accrual date
Common result after deadline	Claim may be time-barred

Example timeline

Injury occurs on March 10, 2025
The general 1-year period begins on the accrual date
The filing deadline is generally March 10, 2026

If the complaint is filed on March 11, 2026, the claim may be outside the limitations period.

What users should enter in the calculator

When using DocketMath, the key inputs usually include:

Accrual or injury date: the date the claim started running
Any discovery-related date: if a different accrual rule may apply
Tolling or suspension dates: if a recognized exception pauses the clock
Filing target date: the date you want to test against the deadline

The output changes based on those inputs:

Only injury date entered → DocketMath calculates the standard 1-year deadline
Additional tolling dates entered → the tool extends the deadline if the data supports it
Different trigger date entered → the result reflects that later or earlier accrual point

Key exceptions

Georgia’s general 1-year rule is the default, but exceptions can change when the clock starts, pause the clock, or extend the filing window.

Common ways the deadline can change

Situation	Effect on deadline
Minority at time of injury	Time may be delayed or tolled under applicable rules
Mental incapacity	The clock may be suspended in some circumstances
Fraudulent concealment	Accrual or tolling issues may arise
Wrongful death or survival issues	A different limitations analysis may apply
Claims against certain government entities	Special notice and filing rules may apply
Multiple defendants or amended claims	Relation-back rules may matter

Practical takeaways

The 1-year period is the default, not a guarantee that every claim follows the same date calculation.
Some exceptions affect the start date; others pause the running of time.
Separate procedural deadlines may apply even when the limitations period is still open.
A timely demand, insurance discussion, or settlement negotiation does not automatically stop the clock.

Warning: A claim can be lost even while negotiations are ongoing if the complaint is not filed before the deadline.

If you are checking whether time was tolled, make sure you have the exact dates for:

Birth date of the injured person, if minority is relevant
Dates of disability or incapacity
Dates of concealment or delayed discovery
Dates tied to any government-claim notice requirement
The precise filing date of the complaint

Statute citation

Georgia’s general statute cited for this deadline is O.C.G.A. § 17-3-1.

The jurisdiction data provided identifies this as the controlling general statute for the 1-year period used here. For reference, the statute is available here: O.C.G.A. § 17-3-1.

Citation format

Use the citation in a short-form reference like this:

Georgia general personal injury / negligence limitations period: 1 year
O.C.G.A. § 17-3-1

Why the citation matters

Citing the statute helps confirm:

The exact deadline category
Whether you are using the default period or a special rule
Whether a court filing is timely on the face of the dates

For internal tracking, DocketMath labels this as the Georgia general SOL and applies the 1-year rule unless your inputs indicate a different accrual or tolling scenario.

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute of limitations calculator helps you test the deadline quickly using Georgia’s 1-year general period.

Use it when you want to know:

The last day to file
Whether a date is inside or outside the limitations window
How tolling dates affect the final deadline
Whether a claim date is still open under the default rule

Best inputs for a reliable result

Check these boxes before calculating:

How the result changes

Input change	Likely output change
Earlier injury date	Earlier deadline
Later accrual date	Later deadline
Tolling period added	Deadline extends by the tolled time
Filing date after deadline	Result may show the claim as expired

The tool is especially useful when the date questions are close, because even a single day can change whether the claim is timely. If you are building a file timeline, use the calculator alongside your case notes so the deadline is documented in one place.