Statute of Limitations for General Personal Injury / Negligence in Ohio
5 min read
Published April 8, 2026 • By DocketMath Team
Overview
Ohio’s general statute of limitations for personal injury and negligence claims is 6 months under Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13. That is the default deadline for the broad, general category covered by this reference page, and no claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified for this entry.
For people tracking a potential claim, the practical question is simple: when did the clock start, and does a different rule apply to your facts? In Ohio, the answer usually depends on the injury date, the date the harm was discovered or should have been discovered in some cases, and whether a separate statute controls the claim.
A quick checklist helps narrow things down:
If you want to estimate a deadline fast, use DocketMath’s statute of limitations tool to calculate the date from the controlling event.
Note: This page covers the general/default period only. If another Ohio statute specifically governs the claim type, that specific rule controls over the general 6-month period.
Limitation period
Ohio’s general limitations period for this category is 6 months.
That means a plaintiff generally has 6 months from the accrual date to file suit under the general negligence / personal injury rule referenced here. The clock starts based on the legal accrual rule that applies to the claim, not simply the date you first decide to sue.
Here’s the practical effect:
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| General period | 6 months |
| Governing statute | Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13 |
| Default application | General personal injury / negligence claims |
| Starts running from | Accrual date for the claim |
| Miss the deadline | Claim is typically time-barred |
A few common inputs affect the output in DocketMath:
- Accrual date: the date the claim began to run
- Tolling facts: facts that may pause or extend the deadline
- Claim type: some claims have their own specific statute
- Filing date: the date the complaint is filed, not mailed or drafted
DocketMath uses those inputs to show the deadline date and whether the claim appears timely on the date you enter. If you change the accrual date by even one day, the deadline shifts by one day as well.
Key exceptions
Ohio’s general rule is not always the final answer. Special statutes, tolling doctrines, and claim-specific accrual rules can change the deadline.
The most common exceptions and deadline-altering issues include:
Special statutory schemes
Some claims are governed by a separate Ohio limitations period. When a specific statute applies, it usually supersedes the general rule in Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13.
Tolling for minors or legal disability
Ohio law can pause the running of limitations in certain circumstances involving a claimant’s legal status. In those cases, the deadline may not begin—or may be extended—until the tolling condition ends.
Accrual rules tied to discovery
Certain claims do not start on the injury date alone. Instead, the clock may run from the date the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered, depending on the governing rule.
Defendant-related tolling
If a defendant is absent from the state or otherwise unavailable in a legally relevant way, tolling issues may arise. That can extend the time to file.
Procedural missteps
A timely claim can still be jeopardized if the wrong defendant is named, service is delayed in a way that matters, or the case is filed in the wrong forum and later dismissed after the deadline has passed.
Use this quick filter:
Warning: A general personal injury or negligence deadline can be defeated by the facts. A case that looks timely under one rule may be untimely under another if a specific Ohio statute applies.
Statute citation
The governing statute for this reference page is Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13.
For reference, the source provided for this jurisdiction data is:
When you cite the limitation period in a work product, use the statute number and the deadline together. A clean reference looks like this:
- Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.13 — 6 months
That format helps readers understand both the legal authority and the practical deadline.
If you are documenting a deadline for a file, include:
- the event date used for accrual
- the exact deadline date
- whether any tolling facts were applied
- the statute citation supporting the calculation
This is especially useful when multiple dates appear in the record. The more precise the inputs, the more reliable the output.
Use the calculator
DocketMath’s statute of limitations tool helps you convert the Ohio rule into a concrete filing deadline.
The calculator is designed to answer three questions:
- What date started the clock?
- What is the deadline under the controlling Ohio rule?
- Is the claim still timely if filed today?
To get the best result, enter:
- the accrual date
- the jurisdiction: Ohio
- the claim category: general personal injury / negligence
- any tolling dates or paused periods
- the filing date you want to test
What changes the output?
| Input change | Result |
|---|---|
| Earlier accrual date | Earlier deadline |
| Later accrual date | Later deadline |
| Added tolling period | Deadline extends |
| Different claim type | May switch to a different rule |
| Different filing date | Timeliness status may change |
A fast workflow looks like this:
For a reference page like this one, the calculator is the quickest way to move from statutory text to a usable date.
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