## How the limitation period applies

The controlling primary authority for US-LA legal malpractice SOL (La. R.S. 9:5605) is **La. R.S. 9:5605**.

> **La. R.S. 9:5605.** ice of law, whether based upon tort, or breach of contract, or otherwise, arising out of an engagement to provide legal services shall be brought unless filed in a court of competent jurisdiction and proper venue within one year from the date of the alleged act, omission, or neglect, or within one year from the date that the alleged act, omission, or neglect is discovered or should have been discovered; however, even as to actions filed within one year from the date of such discovery, in all events such actions shall be filed at the latest within three years from the date of the alleged act, omission, or neglect. B. The provisions of this Section are remedial and apply to all causes of actio

## Use the calculator

DocketMath's statute-of-limitations tool can model these timelines once you identify the controlling claim type and accrual date. Use the source panel for the verified primary-source citations.

[Open the Statute of Limitations calculator](/tools/statute-of-limitations)

## Sources

- [La. R.S. 9:5605 — La. R.S. 9:5605](https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=108277)

All sources are official primary law published by `www.legis.la.gov`.

**Corroboration method:** government_primary_source_direct_fetch.


In Louisiana, legal malpractice claims are governed by a statute of limitations found in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 9:2800.9. Under the general rule, the cla...

Statute of Limitations for Legal Malpractice in Louisiana

Act 423 (HB 315) of 2024 repealed arts. 3492 and 3493 eff. July 1, 2024, enacting arts. 3493.1 (delictual, 2 yr) and 3493.2 (damage to immovable property, 2 yr from knowledge). Prospective only. Medical malpractice (R.S. 9:5628), legal malpractice (R.S. 9:5605), and the 1-yr-from-death floor in wrongful death (art. 2315.2) retain their separate periods.

Art. 3499. Personal action. Unless otherwise provided by legislation, a personal action is subject to a liberative prescription of ten years. (Acts 1983, No. 173, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1984.)

Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years. This prescription commences to run from the day that injury or damage is sustained.

A. No action for damages against any attorney at law duly admitted to practice in this state, any partnership of such attorneys at law, or any professional corporation, company, organization, association, enterprise, or other commercial business or professional combination authorized by the laws of this state to engage in the practice of law, whether based upon tort, or breach of contract, or otherwise, arising out of an engagement to provide legal services shall be brought unless filed in a court of competent jurisdiction and proper venue within one year from the date of the alleged act, omission, or neglect, or within one year from the date that the alleged act, omission, or neglect is discovered or should have been discovered; however, even as to actions filed within one year from the date of such discovery, in all events such actions shall be filed at the latest within three years from the date of the alleged act, omission, or neglect. B. ... The one-year and three-year periods of limitation provided in Subsection A of this Section are peremptive periods within the meaning of Civil Code Article 3458 and, in accordance with Civil Code Article 3461, may not be renounced, interrupted, or suspended. ... E. The peremptive period provided in Subsection A of this Section shall not apply in cases of fraud, as defined in Civil Code Article 1953. (Acts 1990, No. 683, §1; Acts 1992, No. 611, §1.)

A. No action for damages for injury or death against any physician, chiropractor, nurse, licensed midwife practitioner, dentist, psychologist, optometrist, hospital or nursing home duly licensed under the laws of this state, or community blood center or tissue bank as defined in R.S. 40:1231.1(A), whether based upon tort, or breach of contract, or otherwise, arising out of patient care shall be prescribed unless filed within one year from the date of the alleged act, omission, or neglect, or within one year from the date of discovery of the alleged act, omission, or neglect; however, even as to claims filed within one year from the date of such discovery, in all events such claims shall be filed at the latest within a period of three years from the date of the alleged act, omission, or neglect.

Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years. This prescription commences to run from the day that injury or damage is sustained. Prescription does not run against minors or interdicts in actions involving permanent disability under the Louisiana Products Liability Act or applicable state product liability law at the time of injury.

Art. 3493.2. Damage to immovable property; commencement and accrual of prescription. When damage is caused to immovable property, the two-year prescription commences to run from the day that the owner of the immovable acquired, or should have acquired, knowledge of the damage. (Acts 2024, No. 423, §1, eff. July 1, 2024.)

(1) An action for breach of any contract for sale must be commenced within four years after the cause of action has accrued. By the original agreement the parties may reduce the period of limitation to not less than one year but may not extend it. (2) A cause of action accrues when the breach occurs, regardless of the lack of knowledge of the breach. A breach of warranty occurs when tender of delivery is made, except that where a warranty explicitly extends to future performance of the goods and discovery of the breach must await the time of such performance the cause of action accrues when the breach is or should have been discovered.

Art. 2315.2. Wrongful death action. A. If a person dies due to the fault of another, suit may be brought by the following persons to recover damages which they sustained as a result of the death [classes follow]. ... The right of action granted by this Article prescribes one year from the death of the deceased or two years from the day that injury or damage is sustained, whichever is longer. The right of action granted by this Article for medical malpractice actions prescribes one year from the death of the deceased.

A delictual action against a person for any act of sexual assault, as defined in R.S. 46:2184, is subject to a liberative prescription of three years. This prescription commences to run from the day the injury or damage is sustained or the day the victim is notified of the identity of the offender by law enforcement or a judicial agency, whichever is later. This prescriptive period shall be subject to any exception of peremption provided by law.

ther Sessions House Committees Senate Committees Miscellaneous Committees Scheduled Meetings Representatives Senators Caucuses and Delegations --> CC 3499 " id="ctl00_PageBody_ButtonNext" title="view next" /> SECTION 4. TEN YEAR PRESCRIPTION Art. 3499. Personal action Unless otherwise provided by legislation, a personal action is subject to a liberative prescription of ten years. Acts 1983, No. 173, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1984. If you experience any technical difficulties navigating this website, contact the webmaster. P.O. Box 94062 (900 North Third Street) Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9062

no action, whether ex contractu, ex delicto, or otherwise, including but not limited to an action for failure to warn, to recover on a contract, or to recover damages, or otherwise arising out of an engagement of planning, construction, design, or building immovable or movable property which may include, without limitation, consultation, planning, designs, drawings, specification, investigation, evaluation, measuring, or administration related to any building, construction, demolition, or work, shall be brought against any person performing or furnishing land surveying services, as such term is defined in R.S. 37:682, including but not limited to those services preparatory to construction, or against any person performing or furnishing the design, planning, supervision, inspection, or observation of construction or the construction of immovables, or improvement to immovable property, including but not limited to a residential building contractor as defined in R.S. 37:2150.1: (1)(a) More than five years after the date of registry in the mortgage office of acceptance of the work by owner.

Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years. This prescription commences to run from the day that injury or damage is sustained. It does not run against minors or interdicts in actions involving permanent disability and brought pursuant to the Louisiana Products Liability Act or state law governing product liability actions in effect at the time of the injury or damage.

Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years. This

aws of this state, or community blood center or tissue bank as defined in R.S. 40:1231.1(A), whether based upon tort, or breach of contract, or otherwise, arising out of patient care shall be brought unless filed within one year from the date of the alleged act, omission, or neglect, or within one year from the date of discovery of the alleged act, omission, or neglect; however, even as to claims filed within one year from the date of such discovery, in all events such claims shall be filed at the latest within a period of three years from the date of the alleged act, omission, or neglect. B. The provisions of this Section shall apply to all persons whether or not infirm or under disability

An action for breach of any contract for sale must be commenced within four years after the cause of action has accrued. By the original agreement the parties may reduce the period of limitation to not less than one year but may not extend it.

or parent surviving. (4) The surviving grandfathers and grandmothers of the deceased, or any of them, if he left no spouse, child, parent, or sibling surviving. B. The right of action granted by this Article prescribes one year from the death of the deceased or two years from the day that injury or damage is sustained, whichever is longer. C. The right of action granted under this Article is heritable, but the inheritance of it neither interrupts nor prolongs the prescriptive period defined in this Article. D.(1) As used in this Article, the words "child", "brother", "sister", "father", "mother", "grandfather", and "grandmother" include a child, brother, sister, father, mother, grandfather,

Art. 3493.1. Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years. This prescription commences to run from the day that injury or damage is sustained. Prescription does not run against minors or interdicts in actions involving permanent disability under the Louisiana Products Liability Act or applicable state product liability law at the time of injury. (Acts 2024, No. 423, §1, eff. July 1, 2024.)

Under La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (effective July 1, 2024 via Acts 2024 No. 423), delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years, commencing on the day injury or damage is sustained. NOTE: Louisiana's prior one-year prescription under art. 3492 was REPEALED effective July 1, 2024. This is the controlling rule for general personal injury, negligence, premises liability, product liability, slip-and-fall, and dog-bite actions in Louisiana for causes of action accruing on or a

Statute of limitations for personal injury in US-LA is 2 years under La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1.

Statute of limitations for product liability in US-LA is 2 years under La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1.

Statute of limitations for premises liability in US-LA is 2 years under La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1.

Statute of limitations for fraud in US-LA is 2 years under La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1.

Statute of limitations for libel in US-LA is 2 years under La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1.

Statute of limitations for slander in US-LA is 2 years under La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1.

Statute of limitations for trespass in US-LA is 2 years under La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1.

Statute of limitations for wrongful death in US-LA is 1 year from death or 2 years from injury, whichever is longer under La. Civ. Code art. 2315.2.

Statute of limitations for medical malpractice in US-LA is 1 year (3-year repose) under La. R.S. 9:5628.

Statute of limitations for legal malpractice in US-LA is 1 year (3-year peremption) under La. R.S. 9:5605.

Statute of limitations for breach written contract in US-LA is 10 years under La. Civ. Code art. 3499.

Statute of limitations for breach oral contract in US-LA is 10 years under La. Civ. Code art. 3499.

Statute of limitations for UCC sale of goods in US-LA is 4 years under La. R.S. 10:2-725. Louisiana adopted UCC Article 2 in 1990; the prior incorrect citation to La. Civ. Code art. 3499 (general 10-year personal action prescription) was superseded by adoption of the UCC for sale-of-goods contracts.

A common-law whistleblower retaliation claim sounding in tort is governed by La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1, which sets a 2 years delictual limitations period.

Louisiana defamation (libel) is a delictual action subject to a 2-year liberative prescription running from the date injury is sustained.